Saving Hogwarts
by Casyn
Summary: What would happen if Albus' dies suddenly, after Voldemort is gone for good? What would happen if the castle rejected his choice and made its own decision? Well, perhaps Hogwarts might be fixed. AU and Non-Canon Compliant. Summer before Harry's third year. Will eventually be a mentor fic but focuses heavily on the adults. Mentions of Abuse, eating disorders, and swearing. R&R.
1. The Eye of the Storm

_A/n- I do not own. This is NOT part of the Saving Universe, despite the title. Rather this is a universe of its own. What would happen if Albus died mysteriously and the castle chose a young witch to heal it? This will eventally be a mentor-fic, in a way. And yes, there are **hints** of slash, or as I like to call them, loving relationships. There is also swearing, eating disorders, and mentiosn of child abuse with the chance of future issues...Voldemort has just been destroyed, Albus is dead and a new witch is in town. Things get interesting fast. No Harry here, but he shall show up quite soon and will perhaps make the castle hell for the rest of the summer...Let me know what you think. This is non-canon complaint and very AU. Meet the femlae Snape, everyone. Italices are thoughts! X's are scene breaks! Time is noted! _

_~Case  
_-x-

This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't. The Headmaster had been dead for all of three days. She had not meant to take on the wards, had not wanted Hogwarts to choose her. It had just...happened. Damn Albus. This is what happens when an old fool is careless! Minerva could not even take the position any more, one that the woman had been more than happy to fulfill. Honestly, the woman was nearly making herself a suspect in his death! Foolish old bat. Oh why did she speak does words, as true as they still were? She had only been teaching here, teaching a healing course, for two years! Two. As a favour to Albus. And now she would be here until she was no longer needed. Dammit to hell.

-x-

**Five days prior**

"Yes, yes, settle down. Another year gone and the castle is once more still standing!" The headmaster stood in the centre of the staff room for a moment, before turning to ease himself into his overstuffed violet armchair. His periwinkle eyes twinkled, moving over the faces of his professors. Only two were absent. One was in the hospital wing, getting ready to be sent to St. Mungos, and the other was...well, actually, he did not know where Sybil was. "Lord Voldemort is destroyed at last, the Weasly twins did not cause any lasting harm with that last prank, and we are once again short of a Defense Professor. All in all, a grand year!" The snort from the corner was not unexpected, the young witch glaring at him from his potions master side was. He wondered briefly what he had done to upset the young teacher but dismissed it as needless, turning to speak to his deputy for a moment.

"Yes, because nearly a dozen injured students, traumatized students, and recklessness in general is merely grand." She growled under her breath, watching the old man with steely gray eyes under the fringe of nearly black hair.

Severus Snape scowled at the girl, she really wasn't much younger than him, next to him. She was right, of course. But there was absolutely nothing that they could do about it. Sometimes he wondered if most of his students would not be safer at their homes than inside this castle, at least while under the watch of one Albus Dumbledore. The year had just ended, thank Merlin. Two months of a nearly silent castle, two months of brewing. He glanced at the headmaster for a moment before exchanging silent smirks with the young woman. Many idiots often wondered if they were related, and while they were not, they could have been. She was merely six or seven years younger than him, in her late twenties, a prodigy in her own right. Her hair was a shade lighter, but it was not very noticeable. Her skin was the same shade, the same pale, sickly white, as if she never went into the sun. She was tall and thin, skinnier than he was, both of them near gaunt. Her eyes were the same shape, her fingers long and slender. If he had not known better, he might even agree that they might be related. Both of them were half-bloods, after all. But she had been born to a family on the continent, specifically Germany. She had not even attended Hogwarts as a child. Her mind was fast, she used wit and sarcasm like a weapon. Their pasts, according to the headmaster, were similar. Although he doubted that Albus knew what he was talking about with most things, it was easy to seeit in this girl.

But there were differences too. She had a mastery in Healing and Charms, not Potions and Healing as he did. She was softer, kinder; he used harsh words and a biting tone. He did not bully his students, but they respected him completely, feared him even. His subject was dangerous; hers was too, but much easier to fix or control. His nose was almost hooked, hers was much more slanted, small. His hair was, by nature, greasy looking. Hers merely looked healthy. They were quite similar, it was true. But also different. No wonder his female colleagues kept hoping he would end up _together_ with the young woman. They called her a female version of himself, said he might like her because of that. He did like her, but not in that way. He knew, for the younger woman had snapped it at him one night, that neither of them swung that traditional path. In fact, he knew that the girl was crushing madly on the Astronomy professor. Well, it was better than Sybil, anyway.

"Be that as it may, there is not much that can be done, Alexis." Severus growled softly, turning his eyes back to gaze at the other chatting professors. Such a well organized meeting that they were not even discussing why they were here!

"You are wrong, Severus. Much can be done, if only someone was there to set it in motion." Alexis replied softly, her own eyes scanning the room. She froze suddenly when she felt magic surround her, however briefly that it did so. She strengthened her Occulmacy wards, frowning when it was just a mere brush of warmth. Almost as if the magic was...hugging her. Odd, but then Hogwarts was Sentient, after all. She could feel and sense the magic everywhere, but never like this. Severus quirked an eyebrow at her, but she merely shook her head. It was nothing to worry about. Not right now, at least.

-x-

**Three days Prior**

Professor McGonagall, the very prime and proper woman, looked frazzled. She sunk down into her chair in the staff room, not even bothering to look at her fellow professors. She had summoned them all here and they had come. Now, to only deliver the _bad_ news. It had not really sunken in yet, but in a few days time she would wonder why the wards had not accepted her then and there, why Hogwarts had not become hers. But at the moment, that was not at the forefront of her thoughts. "I am sure you are all wondering why I have called you here, but I have some...unfortunate news. The Headmaster...Albus is dead. Poppy is making the arrangements at the moment." She announced gravelly, not even taking note of Fawkes, who was observing the room from a corner. Dead silence followed her announcement and then her colleagues all started to speak at once, as she knew they would. Well not _all_ of them. Three were silent. The stupid potions-master, Filius, and that dimwitted chit that Albus had hired. Filius, she knew, was probably just dumbstruck that the great Albus Dumbledore was dead. She did not notice the looks that all three of the mentioned were sending her, she was too busy planning her changes. Doing away with Slytherin house, once and for all; no longer having to be Head of House to those little bratty lions; firing the Death Eater and the chit; removing the new course that Albus had started, largely due to the urgings of the board of governors...the list was long and still growing. She sat there plotting as her coworkers grieved and lamented the death of their _great_ leader. That was, until the chit spoke up. And then everything changed.

Minerva was being quite...suspicious, to the eyes of a Slytherin at least. Albus had died...but she made no mention of how or why. Severus knew that he would need to talk to Poppy and soon. McGonagall's eyes even had a gleam of something in them, something that he did not like. He did not like the look she threw him either. He had a feeling that his job might not be safe anymore. Of all the professors here, McGonagall was the only one to never accept his past or him. Filius was quite contemplative himself, but his thoughtful expression and his grief did not hold the same fire that her eyes did. Where was her grief? Her sorrow? Odd indeed. It was then that he caught sight of the songbird, Albus' old familiar. Fawkes, who might attach himself to the new headmistress as he had done Albus. Or who might merely leave and find a new master. But the bird was not watching her at all. No, the bird was watching Alexis, intently so. As if Alexis was about to say or do something extraordinary. He would be shocked, later, at how right he had been.

Alexis' steely gray eyes took in the room. Something did not feel right. Her bones ached and her head felt light. There was a bit of grief there, for a man that she respected, although had not known well. Albus had saved her from a bad situation, she taught as a favour because she owed him, not unlike many of his other professors reasons for teaching. But she also knew that something was wrong. She could sense it. Her senses had never failed her before, she felt auras and magic naturally. The castle was...grieving. Grieving so much that it hurt her head and made her ache. But it was also..upset. Something had set Her off, for Hogwarts was a her. "There is much healing to be done." She remarked softly, surprised when every set of eyes turned to look at her. Her voice had carried easily, strangely. And then she felt it, the magic surrounding her again. Gently, warmly. There was a Phoenix, flying toward her and she instinctively held out her, allowing him, Fawkes, to land.

_"Very well, human kit. She accepts you, she _**_needs_**_ you. You will do quite nicely." _The Phoenix's voice sounded inside her mind, muffled, confusing. And then the world went black.

**-x-**

"Minerva has been expelled from the school grounds. The wards will not allow her back in." Severus drawled, watching the 26 year old who looked just a tad overwhelmed. Granted, Poppy had yet to let her leave the hospital wing and was currently fussing over the girl.

"Really, Poppy! I'm fine. The magical drain was...well not expected but they are thousand year old wards! My magic has adjusted and I can feel them quite well! So please, may I return to my quarters?" Alexis snarled, before turning sharp steel eyes to the Potions Master. "Thank Merlin, Severus. Fawkes told me that she came very near to killing me. Hogwarts expelled her, yes?"

"But of course. If Filius and I have had a choice, she would have not managed to escape. She will not come here again and she is under investigation for the death of the previous Headmaster as well as the attempted murder of the newest." His voice dripped with disdain, watching the girl...no, the new Headmistress, struggle with the mediwitch for another few moments before Poppy huffed and left. "She was not...happy."

"That's the understatement of the century." Alexis muttered, understanding his meaning quite well. Poppy came back with a vial and a file. Damn, that wasn't good. "I hope the castle realizes that I have no idea what I am doing." She sighed, raising an eyebrow at the infuriating healer.

The older mediwitch merely chuckled. "You will have all of us to help. I assume you have already chosen a Deputy and he will help you handle the amount of work. Now then, about these tests Alexis..." Poppy trailed off for a moment, glancing at Severus. But at the younger witch's nod she continued. Clearly she was not wrong in her line of thinking after all. Severus would be a solid choice for deputy. No matter how much she had like Minerva, that woman always held the belief that Gryffindors were better than all others, even since she was a child! No wonder the castle rejected her. Poppy sighed, changing her trail of thought, she did have a patient to scold, after all. "Much healthier since you have come to us, but two years is not long enough to heal all the damage. I stand by what we discussed two years ago, child. It would be helpful, especially now, to speak with someone. I know quite a few good mind-healers, but I am aware that you do as well. You still need the nutrition potion and if you do not start to eat more, I will ask Pomona and the elves to make sure that you do." She threatened quietly. The child... Headmistress now, was not anemic anymore, but only just. A rough childhood that rivaled Severus', and quite a few other students, eating 'issues', and a bad situation had left the...Headmistress in quite a bad shape two years prior. Poppy frowned at the child's shrug, but dismissed her anyway, _after_ making sure that she downed the vial. "Severus will help you to your new quarters." She added softly. Albus had been buried, privately and quietly, as were his wishes, the day before. As she was neither family nor friend, Alexis had not attended nor be expected to. The girl's things had already been moved to the Headmaster's office and his portrait had joined the others on the wall. He had not seemed surprised at all about what had happened. He had said that Alexis would do well for the school and then promptly fallen asleep. Damn man.

-x-

**A week later**

Alexis sighed, gazing out the window for a long moment. She had yet to speak to the three men who sat in her living quarters. All of the Headmaster's belongings were gone, even the instruments from his office. The pensive was sitting on the dining table currently, as all three men had just finished reviewing the past few days events. Her own possessions, what few there were, had been moved here. The elves had even decorated for her, but in nice muted tones. Silver, blue, green...nothing as bright as Albus' quarters had been and no yellow anywhere. His will had been read and he had left much to many, including Severus. Including her. Nothing to Minerva, as if he had known that she would betray him eventually. To Severus he had left a cottage and a vault. To her...he had left the pensive and his personal libraries. It was strange, to her at least. Albus had only known her for five years, had only been her boss for two of those. She knew the cottage of course, having been there a few times with Severus and his...friend. Severus had promised that she was still welcome there, a home away from Hogwarts, so it seemed. She finally turned from her vantage point, watching the vacate grounds, to face the three quiet men. She knew that each was contemplating much of which that she was.

"Filius, if it would not offend you, I would like to offer Severus the deputy position. I intend to break up the actually duties but in case something were to happen to me, I would like you, Severus, to be my second." Alexis remarked quietly, finally dropping into an armchair.

"That's fine by me."

"Of course, Alexis. I do accept the post as Deputy." Severus respond solemnly, fighting a shudder as he felt the ancient magic touch and surround him. It was gone quickly, and it was binding. The castle approved, he would be deputy or die trying.

"Good. Remus...would you be willing to be both head of Gryffindor and Defense professor?" She asked, turning to the third man, only a few years her senior. She knew his arguments and she had a solution to them already. She had spent the last several days working out plans and ideas in her mind and on parchment. She had even met with the board of governors twice! Thank the gods that she knew Narcissa Malfoy personally and her husband was quite willing to listen to the new Headmistress, who had informed the board that as they were not in the original Charter and added as a provision that the headmaster could _abolish_ if they so chose, that the board would do well to listen to her. They were actually quite happy that she planned to make changes. Albus had only made one in...thirty years? Something like that. And that was adding _back_ the old class on healing, the one that _he_ had gotten rid of. She was quite good at budgeting and planning, she could make the budget stretch well enough to cover all the new subjects, which she was already looking over applications for, as well as managing to add more teaching staff.

"Due to my condition...I do not see how it is possible or safe." The werewolf sighed, frowning at the younger girl. He looked worn down and, quite frankly, much older than thirty-three. His clothes were patched, his face gaunt, and he was skinnier than both of the _ex-_anorexics in the room, although not by choice.

"It is both possible and safe. You would be the primary Head of House. As primary Head you would handle the majority of problems and all issues of discipline. If something happens during the full moon, the secondary head will handle anything immediate and will make sure all rules are follow. Actually, it has been advised that all Houses have a primary and secondary Head. With nearly a hundred students in each, two pairs of eyes are much better than one. Aurora will be your second and will help with every day affairs as well. It gives the students two people to come to, instead of one. The board has already approved my proposal, as it does fit with one of their political proposals to reduce restrictions on werewolves. You would teach the majority of the month, with a teaching assistant to fill in right before and after full months. The head of the DMLE has agreed to allow Aurors to come help us out for a week at a time, on a rotating schedule. It will allow the students to learn much more and to make up for their past defense education, or lack thereof. Would that make it easier for you to accept, or to I need to throw in a years supply of chocolate?"Alexis replied dryly, quirking an eyebrow at the older man.

Remus Lupin stared at the woman, not more than a child really, for a moment before he dissolved into laughter. She had thought of everything and had taunted him while she was at it. He had always thought that young Alexis could be Severus' little sister and this was why. Once he stopped laughing, he became serious once more. "Of course, I will accept the duties of both Head of Gryffindor and the Defense post." He replied as solemnly as Severus had. A small swirl of magic, warm and softly, and then it was gone.

"Good. Now, for the new classes. Healing will obviously still be offered for third years and above. First and second years will also have a new required class. Muggleborns and Muggle-raised will all take Wizarding culture, while those raised in the Wizarding world will take a basic introduction to Muggle studies. Some of the older students will also need to take Wizarding Culture, but I have found a good Professor for that. Charity has agreed to teach Muggle Studies for the little ones, so that is covered. A Latin course will be added for all first years, as well as a course for those who need to brush up on their skills. A course on the different magical communities and uses of magic, everything from house elves to Egyptians, will also be offered for those third year and up. Filius, I need you to visit a raising third year and explain to her that she cannot take all the courses offered and as a muggleborn she will not be allowed to take muggle studies." Alexis took a deep breath, running through the list in her head. She could not remember the child's name, but Filius seemed to know exactly who she meant.

"Ms. Granger is actually a Gryffindor, Alexis. But it would stand to reason that the girl would want to take Muggle Studies." Severus droned, smirking.

"That child should have been a Ravenclaw. Just as Potter should have been in Slytherin." Filius chuckled.

"Harry? Really?" Remus turned to the smaller man, drawing himself into the conversation for the first time since he agreed to Alexis terms.

"The boy is cunning, good at healing himself too. If I didn't know better.." Alexis trailed off, her eyes narrowing. She had only ran into the boy a few times, one of which he had gotten in an altercation and she had seen him effortlessly heal himself, without even thinking about it.

"I don't like that look, Alexis." Filius murmured, turning sharp eyes on the young woman. He knew where her mind was going, a quick glance at Severus showed that his mind also followed.

"Do you suspect?" She asked sharply, steel meeting brown yes.

"Only in the last few weeks. Just before the end of term, Potter seemed...quite distressed about going home. Much like a few of my Ravens and Severus' Snakes." Filius replied quietly. He was going to mention it to Albus, before the other man had died, peacefully they said, in his sleep, never expecting the painless poison. He had noticed little signs over the last few weeks, signs that he had seen in other students, although usually much earlier.

"Potter abused? He would have said something by now to Albus or Minerva." Severus snapped, glaring at the wall. His mind was quickly drawing together all the little signs over the past two years. Signs that he had pretty much ignored at the time. The defiance, the posture, the subtle flinching..it was all defensive behaviour. Fucking hell.

Remus had grown quiet, contemplating this. If Harry was abused he would not allow the boy to stay with his relatives. He would not suffer like he had, like his Severus had. The boy needed to have love and support, especially now. He would fight for the child if he had to. And damn it, he would protect the lad.

"Would you have Severus? And when you did, was it taken seriously? I know it sure as hell wasn't when I spoke up in Germany. " Alexis sneered, glaring at the older man. Harry might had said something, and would Minerva do anything about it? The woman had only seen what she wanted to. But surely letting a child be abused... "How many in Hogwarts this past year and why are they not still safe within these walls?" She asked suddenly, turning to Filius and Severus.

"Out of 427 students? In total, 53 are abused at home. Only 19 of those are severe enough, life or death, for Albus to try to remove. Fifteen are living with relatives and the other four have foster families. The fifty-three does not count the neglected or the ones who are not enough to be removed by legal standards. Albus only removed those nineteen because we pushed him to. Otherwise, they would not have survived another summer. Some of them still might not. Fifty-three students could legally be completely removed from their homes. Another twenty-three could use help and support. Of the whole student body, 76 abused and neglected, in varying degrees. Or at least, that what we have found. Many are muggleborns whose families do not understand and fear their magic. Muggleborns are killed every year because of this and Lucius is working toward changing the way the system works so that if they are not wanted at home, they can go to families who will want them or into the care of other muggleborns. Albus would not allow the students to stay in the castle." Severus replied dryly, scowling furiously. His students were hurting at home but the old fool had done little to help it.

"That changes _now_. I need a list of every student who has suffered any degree of abuse. Does Poppy have the files?" Alexis asked, her tone dangerous. No child in her school would be hurt on her watch. No longer.

"She does." Filius remarked quietly, watching the young woman who wore power and authority like a cloak. Her power level might not be as high as Albus and she might not have the elder wand, which had been destroyed, finally, but she was powerful in her own right. And dangerous. He remembered quite well why Albus had brought her here.

"Good. Severus, if you have free time tonight, I need you to go check on Harry Potter. I don't care if you don't like him, take Remus with you and check on the child." Alexis growled. Neither man argued. Instead, both nodded, standing as one and leaving quickly. She knew Severus quite well, even after so few years, he did not like any child to hurt, especially at the hands of their relatives. Her healing skills had been called in to help a few times over the last two years, but only for a few students. To have 76 students who were left to handle it on their own...in a school of 427, it was just ridiculous. That was nearly a fifth of the student body! Oh the old fool...if he wasn't dead she would hex him so fast!

"Do you have plans on how to handle the hurt students, Alexis?" Filius asked quietly, watching those sharp steel eyes snap and crackle with anger.

"Yes, I do. They need healing and Hogwarts will be here to help them." She replied quietly. "Hogwarts needs healing and that is what I tend to do. To right the wrongs that have gone on and fix the wounds with more than just a plaster. Hogwarts will be saved, or I will die trying."


	2. When Life Comes Crashing Down

A/N: _W__ell! I never expected this to take off like it did, but I love writing this story. And no, I haven't abandoned my others. There are just a few roadblocks there. Anyway, do not own. Some mentions of child abuse and a bit of mild swearing. Enter Harry! Enjoy and let me know what you think! X's are scene breaks and italics are thoughts! (I realized some of the sentences did not make sense. It is now edited and hopefully I caught everything.)  
_

**#4 Privet Drive**

A skinny twelve-year-old child was sprawled in the garden, his broken glasses resting nearby. His jet black hair was tangled with dirt and leaves, his tattered clothing oversized and worn. He wore no shoes. Harry Potter was quite small for his age, unnaturally so. Currently his eyes were closed, a small gash on his head bleeding. Tossed outside like the trash that he knew he was. It did not matter that his teachers had destroyed the Dark Lord and that he was now safe. He was never safe, would never be safe. Professor McGonagall had snapped at him that he could not remain at the castle, that students weren't allowed. He just wished that he could be somewhere else, instead of at the Dursleys, lying on the grass in the back of the garden. Slacking off, his uncle would say. But he could not move. It hurt too much.

The two wizards apparated to the pristine, flawless house. Severus Snape had his healer bag tucked into a pocket of his robe, keeping one eye on his silent lover. He hoped to the gods that the child was not abused. It was not that he hated the Potter child, he didn't. But he had always felt guilty because of the boy. Severus knew, however, that if the child was abused, he would not leave him here to suffer. Hell, he would take the boy in if he had to.

Remus hesitated before striding silently up the steps of Number 4, which looked exactly the same as all the other houses. Did no one in Little Whinging have personality or individualism? He exchanged glances with Severus briefly before knocking on the door. There were lights on inside the house and noise could be heard from the thin walls, but so far he had not seen any signs of Harry.

The door opened to a large...man, glaring at them. He was quite surprised that the fat lard of a man could actually walk, let alone speak. He looked and smelt like a troll. Severus hoped, briefly, that he was as dumb as a troll too.

"Yes?" Vernon Dursley sneered, surveying the two men on his stoop with suspicion. He was a rather large man and he held his bulk in a way that was meant to be threatening, one beefy hand holding onto the door. These two normal looking men, although one did look quite shabby, had the air of...fairies. And he would not have those type of folks around his son!

"Mr. Dursley? We are here to speak with your nephew." Remus growled, his nearly golden eyes threatening.

"He is not home." Vernon snarled, slamming the door shut. He stalked back to his chair and was about to sit down when the door burst open. "Freaks! Get out of my house!" He screeched, moving as menacingly as he could, which was not at all, really, toward the two slender men.

"We are not leaving until we have spoken to Harry. Now, either tell us where he is or..." Severus let the threat hang, his wand held easily in his hand. He kept an eye on Remus though, as the slightly older man was sniffing the air, catching Harry's scent.

"He's out back." Vernon grunted, turning white and stepping back. He did not like wizards, not at all.

Remus merely nodded, already following the boy's scent, one that he had not smelt in several years, through the kitchen. It was a bit puzzling though, the child's scent had been all over a broom cupboard...odd. Remus opened the back door and froze. There was a small boy lying on the grass, blood on his head. The smell of blood was quite strong, as if more than his head might be bleeding. "Severus quick." He growled, running over to the small, pale body. He crouched down beside the boy, feeling, rather than seeing, Severus drop beside him.

He cursed under his breath, pulling out his bag and dropping it carelessly on the ground. For a brief moment he wished for the feisty little healer, but Alexis would probably curse Vernon first. That would just have to wait...Harry was injured, badly so. Severus waved his wand over the child's body, frowning as the diagnostic spell set in. The most pressing injury was a broken rib that was pressing against the child's lung. He had a healer's training, but he was not as gifted as Alexis or Poppy. Severus took a deep breath, black orbs scanning the boy's body as he spelled away the child's shirt. Belt marks and bruises covered the young boy's stomach and chest. He gently placed a hand on Harry's ribs, his wand carefully tracing the broken ones. For more than one rib was broken, although only one was close to puncturing a lung. A few minutes of muttered Latin and the child groaned, eyes fluttering open. The ribs were healed, but they would still have to be careful until Poppy could check the ribs again.

Harry groaned, blearily opening his eyes. His green eyes widen, he just _had_ to be dreaming. Even if the Potions Master had been less evil toward him in the few weeks before the end of term, he just could not believe that the greasy bat would be crouched on the ground beside him, looking at him with concern. _Oh no._ They could not know. _Nonono._

"Calm yourself, Mr. Potter. You are injured and I need to treat you before you make it worse, you silly child." Severus drawled, scowling down at the small boy. Really, the child did not look eight, let alone nearly thirteen! The boy had stilled instantly, staring at him with wide, scared emerald orbs. Severus sighed, running his wand over the child again, returning to whispering healing spells. A few groans later and it was safe to move the scared boy. He had healed his head and leg, knowing that while the bruises were uncomfortable and the welts were painful, it was best to treat those at Hogwarts, instead of in the scum's back garden. He wordlessly handed the child a pain potion, waiting for the child to tip it back before speaking. "Mr. Potter, it is quite time that we leave. I am going to pick you up now, is that alright?" He asked briskly, knowing better than to touch the child without his permission. Who knew how far the abuse might extend, it was better to be safe than to have a panicked child on his hands.

Harry stared at his evil potions professor. Wait, could the man still be evil if he healed him? He didn't think so. But he was not sure why the professor wanted to pick him up if he was just going to leave him? Unless he wanted to take Harry with him and the sandy-haired man. But he knew that he was just being silly. The professor would not want a worthless waste of space such as himself. "Sir?" He whispered.

"You cannot walk, Mr. Potter. You are still injured and we need to have you checked over extensively." Severus growled softly, wishing that he did not have to attend to the boy currently. He would rather be hexing the large oaf. Hopefully Remus, who had disappeared inside to get Harry's things, would do so for him.

Remus snarled at the large oaf of a man, doing his best to keep his temper. The body-binding hex was all he dared to cast at the moment, after inquiring about the lard's wife and Harry's room. He turned sharp eyes to the small cupboard once more. To think that the child lived in here! There was barely room for his school trunk, let alone the small pile of blankets in the corner. With a growl the normally level-headed man quickly gathered all of the boy's things, what little there was, placing them inside the previously padlocked trunk, before shrinking it down and pocketing it. He turned to leave the cupboard, freezing when he spotted the little sign on the door. Curse those muggles! Alexis would be the _least _of their worries. He carefully took down the sign that declared this small space as Harry's room, adding it to his pocket before storming out of the cupboard. He turned predatory eyes on the fat walrus, baring his teeth. A swift stinging hex and he strode out the back door, growling curses under his breath. He would get the man later, that was for sure.

Severus gave a small sigh of relief when the child finally nodded, picking the boy up. He turned to look at his friend, eyes narrowing at the anger radiating off of the normally calm werewolf. "Ready, Remus?" He held out a small coin for the wolf to take. Remus did, watching the snarky man swing the child easily onto his hip. Both men checked to make sure that the boy had a good hold on Severus before taking hold of the coin. "Healing." Severus whispered causing the coin to turn blue and then the three of them disappeared.

Both men landed easily, Severus striding toward one of the beds and setting young Harry upon it. A muttered spell and the boy was asleep. The pestering mediwitch was over instantly, taking charge of the boy and muttering spells of her own. "Shall we?" He asked quietly, not bothering to hide the concern for his partner. They both needed a drink and he knew that Alexis, although she did not drink often, would have just the stuff to help.

"She will not be happy." Remus growled, fighting back his anger once more. But he nodded anyway. Both men strode toward the fire-place and disappeared into it, causing the new Headmistress to scowl at them when they appeared in her living quarters, but only for a moment.

"What happened?" Alexis asked sharply, setting down the parchment that she had been examining. It was going to be a long night.

-x-

Severus did not answer at first, striding to the small cabinet that he knew housed some fine whiskey and brandy. He grabbed the bottle of Odin's and three glasses before stalking back to the coffee table. He deposited the glasses, pouring the fiery liquid into two of them, before dropping gracelessly into his favourite armchair. He then proceeded to place his head in his hands, knowing that this was indeed going to be a difficult conversation. Remus had yet to stop pacing, he knew the other man was lost in his own thoughts. "Potter was being abused. He is currently in the Infirmary." He stated finally, looking up to meet eyes of steel before grabbing his fire whiskey and taking a long sallow of it.

She had known of course, from their behaviour, that it would not be a good discussion. How many other students had been overlooked? "Remus, sit." Alexis ordered finally, raising an eyebrow at the older man. The werewolf merely dropped into the chair nearest Severus' own, grabbing the other glass of Odin's. "What do we know of the situation?" She asked sharply, looking between the two men.

"He had several broken ribs, a slight head wound, numerous welts and bruises, as well as a broken leg when we found him." Severus scowled darkly, wanting desperately to go back and show that muggle _exactly_ what he thought of the oaf.

"He is also severely underweight and...his room was a small cupboard under the stairs." Remus added darkly, glaring into the depth of his glass.

"I'm sorry, but I believe I heard you incorrectly. Mr. Potter's room is a cupboard?" Alexis drawled, her eyes flashing dangerously.

Severus growled under his breath. Oh yes, did he have quite a few things he wanted to _say_ to the scumbag!

"You heard me correctly, Alexis. Harry has been living in a cupboard. He might have even lived in there for his entire life." Remus' quite replied was met with an angry hiss from the young witch.

Alexis took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She had seen many abused and neglected children in her line of work. Even after becoming a teacher, she still saw children who had suffered so horribly, because nature could be quite cruel sometimes. Family members were often crueler, she knew for a fact. She also knew what a protector of children might do in a moment of anger or temper. The two men in front of her were protectors of children. They would never hurt a child, but woe be the adults who crossed their paths. Remus had worked as a primary school counselor in muggle England, while Severus was the healer, mind and body, for those damaged children at Hogwarts. She knew her next order would not be taken well, but it needed to be given. "Neither of you are to return to Little Whinging or the Dursleys. I do not need either of you in Azkaban right now. I will deal with those despicable people as soon as I speak with Mr. Potter." She growled, steel eyes flitting between them.

"Alexis.."

"I will _not_ let those _muggles_ get away with this!" Severus snarled.

"Nor shall they. But we do this legally. They will get what they deserve, Severus. I will not let a family get away with treating their children like trash." Alexis replied calmly, meeting angry black eyes easily. She knew how he felt, but as Headmistress of this school she would take care of it. "There is, of course, the problem of who will take care of Mr. Potter for the rest of the holidays. He cannot just go stay with a friend, he needs a strong support system and someone who knows how to help him."

Remus sighed, his anger quickly deflating. They did need to focus on helping Harry, rather than getting revenge for Harry. He met Severus' eyes for a long moment, not even surprised when the dark man nodded. "Severus and I would love to take in Harry. He might not know me yet, but I am sure we can make him part of our growing family." His soft reply was met with a grin from the feisty newly-minted Headmistress.

"Severus would have to take primary custody but otherwise, that shall work out well. _If_ you do not manage to scare the child to death in the first week!" She glanced at Severus, who merely smirked, and shook her head.

"As you are a part of our 'growing' family, I assume you will make sure of that personally." Severus drawled, quirking an eyebrow at the young woman. Alexis' mouth had dropped open, gray eyes staring at him like he had finally lost his mind. "You will catch flies." He smirked.

Her jaw had dropped at his statement, mostly out of surprise, but she quickly closed her mouth, sneering at him. She had known, of course, that they had grown closer over the last two years, but she had not realized that they considered her _family_.

Remus was merely watching her, his sharp eyes intent. "That is, of course, if you want to consider us as part of your family." He added softly, not wanting the young healer to feel pressured.

"Want to? Of course I do!" She snarled, but with no heat. Her eyes shimmered with pleasure for the first time since they had started this conversation. Really, for the first time in over a week. Family, what a foreign concept to a woman whose blood family had tossed her aside like trash. To have those who would be her family...perhaps something good would come from teaching after all.

-x-

Alexis sighed, setting down yet another file. These were not applicants for teaching positions or letters. No, this large stack of files in front of her, and the other two stacks that she had already finished, were the health files on some of her students. The abused or suspected abused students, those that ended up in the infirmary, anyway. These stacks of files, a list of names from each house, and the Heads of those houses own notes and files only covered those that they knew about. The child in the bed beside her had his own medical file, now thick with scans and notes. Eventually she would have to read all of the student files, to assess both grades and health. She'd be damned if Hogwarts would continue to slide further on down, with some of the lowest grades in Europe. No, Hogwarts was going to change. She needed healing and She would be healed. It appalled her that some of her students could not even read on their year level! And yet, nothing had been done to change that. No, students had merely been expected to just pick up reading easily. No more. One class devoted entirely to reading and writing the Queen's own English. Teacher assistants to help with all classes; new subjects to add variety and understanding; a rewards and consequences system for grades; a new house system...Hogwarts was going to change, many of the changes already in process. Helping Her most vulnerable and hurting children was going to be a major part of those changes.

She finally glanced up from her reading and musings when the nearby boy groaned, starting to wake up. A quick glance of the timepiece told her that it was nearing two in the morning. The pain potions had probably worn off. With a quick tap of her wand the files, all but one, vanished. She would recall the ones that she had yet to finish when the boy was asleep once more. Alexis strode the short distance from her armchair to the child's bed. A slight wand movement and she cast yet another diagnostic spell on the boy.

Harry groaned, he hurt so much. He was sore all over, like an elephant had stepped on him. If he was honest with himself, an elephant probably did. But he did not hurt as much as he did before he went outside. He didn't think that he was still outside though. He had just been lying there and then..._Shit. _Emerald green eyes flew open to meet steel gray.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, Mr. Potter."

That was _not_ the potions master. He knew the woman, from sight at least. She taught...healing? He had planned to take that class next year, knowing that it would be useful. She sounded so much like Snape though. Ugh, his head hurt so much. "Professor?" He croaked

"You are at Hogwarts, Mr. Potter, in the Infirmary. You have been here for quite a few hours now. Do you remember how you came to be here?" Alexis asked sharply, studying the boy closely. His wounds were healing nicely. Severus had made a fresh batch of a bruise salve for him, a few more applications and the results of his latest beating would be gone. His ribs were healed completely as was his leg. But the child had quite a few old breaks that had healed badly. Poppy had re-broken and fixed the bones, his arm was still in the healing process.

"Snape and this other man came to my relatives and brought me back here. Where's Professor Dumbledore?" Harry frowned, trying to _not_ remember. Snape had healed him, had helped him. But the man probably hadn't wanted to. He was just a bother, a waste of time. That was it. The headmaster had probably ordered Snape to heal him. But then, why was he here? He would just be sent back to the Dursleys and it would be so much worse.

"_Professor_ Snape, Mr. Potter. Now, I'm going to check over your arm. Is that alright?" Alexis replied sternly, frowning down at the small child. From her own spells she knew that the boy was severely underweight and malnourished, anemic even. She was aware that his arm was hurting him, but she also knew from experience that the child would probably not mention it unless she asked.

Harry frowned, confused. Why was she asking? Madam Pomfery never asked to check him over, she just did it. Even if he did not want her to or if he didn't want to be touched. But perhaps Professor...Monheilem? Perhaps she was different, like Snape. Snape had also asked him for permission to touch him. It was just...strange. With that last thought he gave a small nod, trying to sit up.

"Lie still, Mr. Potter. You are still healing and it would do no good to cause more harm to yourself." She ordered sternly, placing a gentle hand on the injured arm. She muttered softly in Latin, causing parts of the arm to glow briefly. Closing her eyes, she sent her magic into the child's arm, shaping it to finish healing the breaks and to strengthen the weak bones. With her hand still on the child's arm, she sent her magic flowing throughout his body, adding just a touch of calming magic. She finally sighed, releasing her flow of magic and removing her hand. "Are you in pain, Mr. Potter?" She asked quietly, wordlessly summoning a pain potion. She already knew that he was but she wanted to see if he would answer her.

Harry looked away from the Professor, biting his lip. He wasn't suppose to say anything, he was just supposed to deal with the pain. He knew that. But he was not allowed to lie either. He glared at the wall, finally giving the tiniest of nods. He didn't actually _say_ anything, so perhaps his uncle wouldn't punish him for it when he was returned to his relatives house. Their house, because it was not his home. Not really. Hogwarts, though, now this was a place he could call home. But only for most of the year. He gave a small sighed, flinching when the bed was raised up and a potion's vial held out to him.

Alexis frowned. She had not meant to startle the boy, but perhaps he had been lost in his thoughts and did not notice her lifting the bed up so that he could sit. He did need the potion, after all, and she did need to have a chat with him. One that she was _not_ looking forward to. "Drink this Harry." She growled when the boy merely stared at the vial that she was trying to give him. He finally took it, eyeing the potion before downing it. "Good boy. Now, I believe we need to talk." She added quietly, summoning her armchair. She sat down in it, meeting wide emerald eyes.

"Professor?"

"You asked me a question Harry, and I will answer you honestly. However, I would be pleased if you would do the same for me." She stated, sighing when he merely stared at her in confusion. "You asked me about Professor Dumbledore, and I will tell you. But I also want to ask you a few questions and I would like you to be completely honest with me." She explained slowly. Merlin.

"W-what do you want to k-know?" Harry stared down at his lap, stumbling over his words. He was not supposed to ask questions and he knew that he was not allowed to tell about the Dursleys. But what else could she want? _They know and now they will all know how much of a worthless freak I am and they'll send me back and he'llhurtmeand.._

"Mr. Potter!" The sharp tone brought him quickly from his thoughts and he gasped, suddenly filling his lungs with air.

"If you do not calm yourself, Mr. Potter, I will be forced to give you a calming draft." Alexis stated briskly, eyeing the child. _Or some calming magic._ The boy was working himself up over nothing. She hadn't even started her questioning yet! But she did know where the child's mind had gone. He was frightened, it was to be expected.

"Sorry, Professor." He replied softly, staring down at his lap. He was such a burden, he knew that. She probably just wanted to question him so that she could tell Dumbledore and send him back. Fine then. He'd tell her what she wanted.

"You have nothing to apologize for Mr. Potter. I understand that your situation is tough, so I have just a few questions at the moment. But I do want you to know that you can come to me at any time, for anything." She replied with a much gentler tone. Shocked green eyes looked up at her and she sighed. It never got easier, seeing the pain in a child's eyes. Not at all.

Harry merely nodded, staring at the woman. She did not even know him, she must not realize that he was a freak yet. But she would, just like all the adults in the Muggle world had.

"Mr. Potter, does your Uncle...hurt you?"

"No, Professor. I fell." He lied, looking down. She had been nice to him, but he knew better than to answer. She'd just think he was lying anyway.

"I see. Tell me Mr. Potter, how is it that you managed to break three ribs and your leg in this fall? That is not to mention the interesting marks and scars that cover your body. Did you also fall then?" She growled. Merlin, she hated being lied to. Especially about something that she could clearly see. "I am no fool, Harry. I know a beating when I see one." She added softly.

"I deserved it." He muttered, glaring at the bed. He had too. He forgotten to clean the mirror in the upstairs bathroom and he had not managed to finish the yard in time. It was his fault, he knew this.

"I doubt that." She drawled. "No child deserves to be beaten, for any reason. Nor does any child deserve to sleep in a _cupboard_." The boy paled quickly and she grimaced. Perhaps that had not be the right thing to say, but it was the truth and the child needed to know it.

"It is what a good for nothing freak deserves." Harry stated, the words flat and emotionless.

"No, Harry. It is not. You are not a freak and you do not deserve to be abused, no matter what your relatives told you." Her quiet reply was met with flashing green eyes. Good, some emotion was better than none.

"I am not ABUSED!" He shouted.

"Yes, Mr. Potter, you were. But you will not be any longer."

He glared at her for a moment before gasping. "What d-do you mean-n?"

"You will not be returning to your _relatives_, Harry. You will stay at Hogwarts and you will have new guardians, but that can be discussed tomorrow." She replied gently, knowing that the news was a lot for a child to take in, and to believe.

"But Professor McGonagall said I couldn't stay at Hogwarts! She said it wasn't allowed!" Harry argued angrily. He didn't want her to trick him! She seemed so nice, but he couldn't believe her. He just couldn't. After all, wasn't it the Headmaster's decision and not hers? Where was the Headmaster anyway? Dumbledore would never let him stay.

"Professor McGonagall is no longer employed at Hogwarts. She was wrong. It is allowed for students to stay at the castle during the summer if their home situations are undesirable or if there is a reason for them to. It has just not been put into practice in the last few decades, but that changes now." Her dry response left a green-eyed boy staring at her with an open mouth. "You'll catch flies." She drawled, refraining from smirking at the child. He didn't need that right now.

Harry's mouth snapped close. But it couldn't be true? McGonagall gone? And surely Dumbledore wouldn't let him? "But the Headmaster-"

"Is dead." Alexis cut off, sighing. That was not how she meant to tell the child, but he needed to stop worrying so.

"What? But then...why did Professor Snape come check on me?" Harry asked, eyes wide. Dumbledore, dead? But why? How? Why was the professor telling him this?

"Calm down and I will tell you, Mr. Potter. Professor Dumbledore passed away about two weeks ago, peacefully in his sleep. He was old, even for a Wizard." There was no need for any of the children at Hogwarts to know more than that, none at all. "Hogwarts decided to choose a new Headmistress from those who remained. I believe Her goal was to choose someone who would help in healing this castle. I am the new Headmistress, Mr. Potter. I have the power to remove you from the _loving_ care of you relatives and place you with new guardians. I will not allow you to return to that house. Now, it is late and you need to sleep." She drawled, hiding her amusement at the child's open expressions. "We can talk more in the morning, Harry." She added at his hesitation.

"Yes Professor." He muttered, taking the vial that she had just summoned. He hesitated before drinking it, raising his eyes to meet hers. "Professor?" At her raised eyebrow, he gave a small smile. "Thank you." He whispered, downing the dreamless sleep potion. He had a lot to think about later but for now, he was tired. He felt the bed being lowered again and a blanket being tucked around him.

"Goodnight Mr. Potter." She brushed the child's hair away from his eyes, ignoring the small flinch. In a matter of moments he was asleep. Alexis moved back to her table, summoning the rest of the files once more. She still had work to do. Hopefully at least one of her students might be on the path to healing this summer. Although, she might need to get the child a mind-healer.

_A/N- Because I know someone will ask, her name is Mundheilen. Remember, she is German. It literally translates to Moon Heal, or rather Healing Moon. Think on it._


	3. Changes

A/N-_ So yes, I hit the wrong key and Mondheiling's name took on a hold new meaning. It is Mondheiling, which means Healing Moon, and not Mundheiling, which is Healing Mouth. Although both are good, there is a reason for it to be Mondheiling. Thanks to Hummelbeine for pointing that error out! Shinigami- so without spoiling what happens on that front, let's just say that once school starts back, Alexis finds quite a few abused or neglected children. Neville may or may not be one of these.  
_  
_ Now, I still do not own. Nor is this canon complaint. It is AU with a bit of swearing, some abuse, and latent eating disorders. One of the new staff members enters and Harry has a conversation with Severus and Remus! Enjoy and let me know what you think! Also, x's are scene breaks, italics are usually thoughts!  
_

_~Case  
_

"You will wear a path in your floor, Alexis. Think of how the poor house elves will feel." The calm voice belonged to a tall, lanky man who lounged in on of the plume armchairs with ease. His brown hair was short, his brown eyes sharp, catching every movement.

"Shut up Tim." Alexis growled, but dropped easily in the chair across from the older man's. Tim was a good friend of hers, he had guided her when she attempted her mastery. He was also one of the most renown mind-healers in Europe. "Have you decided whether to accept my offer yet?" She added causally, turning gray eyes to meet his.

"I have. I need a few...clarifications first and I have a few requests, if that is alright." Tim replied eventually, watching the younger woman carefully. She had once been his student, now she wanted to employ him. How the world changed in just a few short years.

Alexis merely raised an eyebrow at him, drumming her fingers on the arm of the chair. The house elf that popped in was not as startling as it had been her first night in these quarters.

"Headmistress Professor Miss need something?" The little elf inquired with a bow.

"A tea-tray would be nice, Minzi." She smiled at the small being, her fingers still drumming away. The house elf popped away and reappeared with a tray of tea and biscuits, before sending the young Headmistress a look.

"Headmistress needs to be kind to the furnishings!" The elf scolded, wagging a finger at the young woman.

Alexis had the decency to blush and stopped her tapping. "I apologize, Minzi. I was...distracted." The elf merely nodded and popped away. "Wonderful little blithers." She muttered, frowning at the chuckling older man. "Well? Your questions, Tim? I do have a school to run." Alexis snapped, snatching a cup of tea.

"Calm, Alexis." Tim raised an eyebrow of his own, picking up the other teacup. "You requested my presence as a mind-healer for the school, or even as head of a team of mind-healers. I will not be teaching, yes? My sole focus will be on helping and supporting the staff and students?" His quiet question echoed in the silent, large chambers.

She hesitated for a moment, mulling over the list of things still to do. She had already hired a Professor for the Healing course, as well as his apprentice. Hogwarts already had a mediwitch, but the students vastly outnumbered all of the current staff. If each Head of House had to be healer, parent, friend, and teacher to only their students, it was still odds of 100 to 1. Even adding in the secondary Heads did not lessen the amount of students in each house, nor the fact that there was an influx of incoming students this year. A team of Mind Healers, especially after this last battle, would help greatly. Even the staff could use more support. With that final thought, she nodded. "You are correct. Neither you nor your team will be required to teach, although your team is more than welcome to help Poppy explain health and puberty as well as giving a talk or two to each house on the reason we have Mind Healers. To heal minds, of course, but also as an extra sounding board for the student who just doesn't want to talk to their Heads of House."

Tim smiled at the young woman, this role was good for her. And good for Hogwarts. This was one woman who he knew would risk her own life before letting anything happen to her students. "Good. Then I can accept your terms and my team will be here no later than August 20th. However, I have two requests. The first you have suggested. I would prefer to be the primary Healer to Mr. Potter and the more severe cases that are found. I find it hard to believe that in a school of over 400, only seven Slytherins and three Ravenclaws harm themselves. I find it harder to believe that there are only two known Anorexics and both of them happen to be on staff." He remarked quietly, watching her pale slightly.

"It was not something that I first considered, but you are right, of course. It is odd. That, or we are extremely lucky. But in a school of teenage hormones and preteen drama...I do not believe we could be that lucky. I accept that request. Your second?" Alexis met his eyes for a moment before turning her gaze toward the window. She had a guess to what the second request was and she was also quite sure that she would not be able to deny him.

"As you said, the staff also need support. I would like to be the Healer in charge of the staff, body and mind, although I will work with Poppy. That means that I would prefer to be your healer, and Severus', again. Of course, if you have valid objections to it, I am willing to find you a good Healer. But my Healers Oath will not allow me to watch two of my new colleagues suffer so, just as your Healers Oath does not let you ignore hurting children." Tim watched her closely, noting how quickly the young woman stilled. If he was to help Hogwarts, he first had to help Hogwarts' Headmistress.

"You will have to ask Severus, but I accept that request also." She replied finally, having found her voice again. Tim was not easily fooled, quite unlike Poppy. Tim also knew her well, he had trained her to be a touch Healer and had taken her as a patient after Albus had...found her. But she needed him here, at Hogwarts. Because as much as she would deny it, she needed the help. Hogwarts needed healing and she planned to hire the best people to heal Her.

-x-

A few hours later found her, once more, in the infirmary. She was in the same armchair as the night before, sorting through a different stack of files. Academic records, this time. Remus was sitting nearest to her, his reading the newest Defense textbooks. He had yet to find one that he liked for his fourth years. Severus, however, was pacing the length of the infirmary, stopping from time to time to stare out over the grounds. Alexis finally glared at him, looking up from her perusal of one rather dismal folder. "Will you please sit? It is quite distracting." She growled, arching a brow at him. Severus huffed but dropped gracefully back into his own seat, returning to his Potions periodical. She glared at him for a moment longer before turning back to the folder in front of her. She would swear that this child, a fourth year!, was failing nearly every class. There were even copies of some of his assignments and all of these were illegible. He was either dumber than rocks or perhaps he had difficulty learning. She made a mark on the file and set it in one pile. She had quite a few piles on the table. Some for behaviour problems, others for poor grades, and some for the Newt and Owl students. The rising fifth and seventh years all had their own pile, this was their major exam years after all. Her rising second through fourth years, the ones that did not need further investigation, went into another pile, as did the rising sixth years. She picked up yet another fourth year folder, flipped it open and groaned.

"Problems, Alexis?" Severus purred, lowering his magazine slightly.

"How does a child receive zeros on _every_ assignment in five classes? Not even on the exams, but the assignments. Do they just decide that it is not worthwhile to turn in their homework?" She grumbled, shooting him a look.

Severus raised an eyebrow at that statement. He knew that he had given several students zeros on assignments repeatedly, but always well deserved zeros. And he was one of the hardest teachers in the school. "What is this student passing?"

"Divination. Herbology, and History of Magic, although I would discount the last one. Hopefully having a living teacher will not scare the students too badly in that class."She replied, scanning through the documents quickly. "The assignments she turned in for Herbology and Divination seem well written, so it is not, perhaps, a learning difficulty. I'm sure you will remember this student, Severus. You, along with Filius _and _Vector, commented that she turned in blank pieces of parchment more often than not." She scanned the sheets of notes, before setting the folder aside to be addressed later.

"Ms. Lansiken, then. A fourth year Gryffindor. McGonagall must not have had rules for homework as Filius and I do." Severus scowled, glaring at the wall for a moment before glancing back toward the sleeping child. "You mentioned new plans yesterday. Care to elaborate?" He added quietly, turning back to face her. Remus had also set down his work, turning his golden gaze on the younger healer.

"The way that Ravenclaw and Slytherin are run currently, works well. Both Houses need a secondary Head of House, however. Charity has already begged to help with Hufflepuff and Pomona agreed. Filius has asked to take one of the newest Professors, for some reason he wants to engage in a 'literary debate' with her. Which leaves Slytherin with several choices." She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. A glance at the still sleeping child and she continued. "Both Gryffindor and Hufflepuff had little in place in the way of rules. Hufflepuff follows the creed of harm none and although Hufflepuffs are the least likely to be out after curfew, they are still without a clear system of rewards and consequences. Gryffindor has no rules, at all. The students only have to follow the school rules, and they rarely do that. Gryffindors are used to getting away with everything, but all houses need to be treated equally. Honestly, I'd rather just abolish the house system completely, but as that would add a bit of mayhem and confusion, it needs to be altered a bit. I am, however, abolishing the stupid House Cup."

"What?"

"That gives the students nothing to strive for, no reason to behave. You will cause madness, Alexis." Severus snarled, raising an eyebrow at the woman. Clearly she had a plan. But he was not sure if years of ingrained training could be changed overnight.

"A 'friendly' house competition is not necessary. The students need to learn to work together, and not try to sabotage each other because of house affiliation. All students need to be treated equally, but with the house points system that does not happen. Other Heads are more likely to take points for lesser infractions from houses that are not theirs, rather that punish their house by taking points. It is almost more of a competition of who has the better behaved house. If that were the case, Hufflepuff would always win. They might have few rules, but those children are too afraid of their own shadows to so much as risk the wrath of anyone. They neither loses points nor do they often gain them. Gryffindors break every school rule and yet they rarely lose the House Cup. It is an unfair system and it needs to go. There will be incentive to behave, however. How do you feel about Field Trips, Remus?" She smirked at both of the staring men, shaking her head. Perhaps her system was different and perhaps it would not work, but she'd be damned, they were going to at least try it.

"Field trips?" Remus gawked at her for a moment before getting a hold of himself. She was talking about abolishing the entire points system! It was just unheard of. But she did have a point. One that was a bit...tough to hear. To think of how corrupt the points system really was, at least under Dumbledore. "I enjoy field trips. Why?" He replied finally.

"Good. Third year students and up have Hogsmeade privileges. First and Second years do not. Educational field trips rarely, if ever, happen. In class misbehaviour should result in detention or a warning. If you have students flinging hexes or throwing random ingredients into cauldrons, sending them to a corner should quickly quell that behaviour. At least for the younger ones. Good behaviour and good grades will result in a reward we broke the students up by year group, while still allowing them to live in separate houses, we can have a different points system. Instead of losing points, the year group will try as one to gain points. A certain amount of points will result in a reward, either a field trip, an outing, a movie and pizza night, a year level party...the list goes on. The students will not lose points but neither will these points be given easily. A year group that all has E's and O's will be able to go on an outing, whereas a year group with only A's and D's will not. Each grade, per a subject not an assignment, that is an A or above will result in a point. Too many poor grades will result in no points and a ban from such outings until the students grades improve. The House system will work much the same. With rewards for good behaviour and consequences for rule breaking. It is a much fairer system to all involved." Alexis grinned at their expressions, well Remus' anyway, for a moment before turning her eyes to the little boy. "Mr. Potter, good of you to join us." She added sternly, standing and moving over to the boy. "I trust that you will not repeat any of what you heard to your classmates."

Harry gulped, staring up into warm gray eyes. "I won't, Professor." He rasped, grimacing at the pain in his throat. He tried to sit up but the professor gently pushed him back against the bed, lifting up the back of the bed so that he was supported in sitting. He gasped suddenly, meeting the black orbs of his potions professor. He had not known that was who the...Headmistress had been speaking to! Snape and the sandy-hair man.

"Calm down, Mr. Potter. Professors Snape and Lupin will not harm you. They are actually here to speak with you. Now, if I may cast a quick diagnostic spell, I shall you three." Alexis stated briskly, watching the small boy with a frown. The green-eyed child merely nodded, still gaping at his Potions Professor. Alexis shook her head, casting the charm easily. She nodded at the results, glancing toward the two men, who had stood and were walking slowly toward the bed.

"You will catch flies, Mr. Potter." Severus intoned, biting back a smirk when the child's mouth snapped shut. He met Alexis eyes for a moment, raising an eyebrow.

"You still need much rest Mr. Potter and some more of this salve. I'm sure these two men will help you with it. I will just be in Madam Pomfery's office if needed." Alexis replied to Severus' silent question, directing the last bit at the child himself. At the boy's nod she flicked her wand, causing her files to follow her out of the room, into the office.

-x-

Remus summoned two chairs, watching the young teen. The child did not look twelve, he looked closer to seven or eight. "Hello Harry." He remarked softly, settling down into his chair. Severus sat beside him in silence and he knew the man would do his best for this boy. They both would.

"Professors." Harry replied politely, frowning at the two men. Why did they want to speak to him? He hadn't done anything, had he? Perhaps Professor Mondheilig, wasn't that her name? Perhaps she had told them...but they had found him. So they knew what a freak he was. _Nonono. Please don't kick me out. Please. Nonononononono..._

"Mr. Potter!" Severus snapped, grabbing Remus' wrist. The child would only fear them more if they touched him without his permission. Surely Remus remembered this! He had dealt with abused children before, but perhaps it was a need to do something that had caused his partner to reach out. "Calm down, you silly child. We will not harm you! We will not allow harm to come to you!" He snarled, but without menace. He needed the boy to listen to him. Startled, wide green eyes met his for a moment and the child stopped shaking so violent. He also started breathing again, thank Merlin.

Harry took a deep breath, turning his eyes to his Potions Professor. The man was calm, watching him like a hawk. But he oozed safety and calm. Wait, did he say..."Professor?" He whispered.

"We will not allow anyone to harm you, Harry. Remus and I will protect you. You will not be returning to your relatives, so get that foolish thought out of that little head of yours." Severus scowled at the boy, absentmindedly patting Remus' hand. The boy was gawking at them again, gaping like a fish out of water!

"Harry?" Remus questioned softly, relaxing slightly beside Severus. That man could always calm him down, calm the wolf and bring him back to thinking, instead of acting on instinct. This pup did not know them yet, he would startle easily still.

Harry stared at Snape for a moment before glancing at the other man. His eyes, however, caught sight of their hands and his mouth dropped open. His Potions Professor was being gentle and reassuring to the strange man! He couldn't help it, he knew he was gaping but this was just...unexpected. He knew Professor Snape was human and had emotion, but to see him being so calm and _loving _ it was just...shocking.

"Kindly stop staring, Mr. Potter." Severus ordered finally, following the boy;s gaze to his and Remus' now locked hands. "Remus and I have decided to take over your guardianship, if you would be alright with that Mr. Potter." He added. They had decided to let the boy call them by their given names and to explain some things to the child. For one, he needed to understand the seriousness of certain rules, so knowing that Remus was a werewolf would enforce that. And secondly, well in the muggle world, it was not quite acceptable to have two...male guardians just yet.

Harry gaped at them again, turning to stare at the other professor. Warm, golden eyes met his with a smile. "But why? Why would you want a freak like me?" He burst out, gazing frantically between the two men.

Well that was slightly unexpected. He had expected the boy to ask why them, but not why _him_. Oh how he wished he could go after those muggles! "Harry James! You are not a freak! You are a good boy who has been treated badly. We would love to have you as our child." Remus replied gently. The child stared at him for a moment and suddenly started sobbing.

Severus cursed silently, hesitating for a moment before lifting the child out of his bed and onto his lap. The boy fought him for a moment, but he merely wrapped his arms around Harry, rubbing the child's back. The green-eyed monster relaxed for a moment before clinging to him. Remus moved slightly, reaching over to rub the child's back and brush his hair away from his face. "Shh Harry. It is alright, child. Calm yourself. I know it is much to take it, but you are not a freak nor are you bad. You are a good boy. Such a good boy." Severus murmured into the child's ear, hoping the words would calm the child. It seemed to work.

Harry hiccupped, his sobs slowing. They wanted him. _Him._ No one had ever wanted him before. It was so...weird feeling. But his professors wanted him! As their child. It might be a trick but both men had seemed honest and Professor Snape was being nice. _Once they see how big of a freak you are, they won't want you anymore._ Harry scowled at his inner thoughts, resolving to be the best, well-behaved child ever. He soaked up the comfort for several more moments, before shifting on the professor's lap. He tried to move but Snape merely kept an arm around him, moving him so that he could see both of the older men. Harry ducked his head, staring at his lap. Crying like a baby! They probably wouldn't want him now. A gentle finger pulled his chin up and he was staring into dark orbs.

"No need to be embarrassed, Harry. We all cry sometimes." Severus remarked softly, conjuring a handkerchief and gently wiping the child's face. To his credit, Harry only flinched once.

"Yes Harry, we want you. If you will have us as your guardians." Remus added quietly, deciding not to mention that they were planning to adopt the child.

"Of course, Professors!" Harry grinned briefly before looking back down. To have a home, a real home, even temporarily would be a good change from the Dursley's. "I'll work hard and be good! You won't even know I'm there!"

Severus bit back a sigh, looking down at the mess of black hair. For a child to automatically accept them without question...that said much about Harry's past. Alexis was right, she often was in cases like this. Harry would probably need a mind healer and Tim would be best for the job. "You will not have to work for us Harry. We do not want a child that is invisible. We want a child who behaves and sometimes gets into mischief as children often do. We will spend most of the summer here at Hogwarts, but we might be able to visit our house for a week or two." He remarked dryly, arching an eyebrow at Remus.

Remus bit back a grimace but gave Severus a small nod. "There are, however, a few things you should know before you decide to accept us, Harry. Severus and I are partners. I am also...a werewolf." He stated quietly, watching shocked eyes meet his. He knew it, knew that the child would not be able to accept him. It never occurred to him that his wolf nature was not what surprised the boy.

"You're partners? Like _partner_ partners?" Harry gasped. That explained the hand holding and the looks they sent each other. Uncle Vernon would have a fit to know he was going to live with...what did Uncle call them? Fairies? He was going to live with fairies! He giggled into his hands suddenly.

The child was told that he would be living with his potions master and a werewolf, and yet he starts giggling? Because they were partners? Severus chuckled, catching Remus' shocked expression. He knew that the werewolf bit would not be a problem.

Harry looked up in shock. The strong chest that he was leaning against was rumbling and the Professor was...laughing. He had never heard Professor Snape laugh! See? He told Ron that Snape was human! "Professor?"

"Severus." He replied, looking down at the child.

Harry gaped at him for a moment. "Sir?"

"When we are not in class, you may call me Severus. And you may call him Remus." Severus explained slowly, smirking at the gaping Gryffindor.

"You do not have a problem with me being a Werewolf, Harry?" Remus asked quietly, not yet daring to believe it.

"Of course not Prof- Remus. Why would I?" Harry cocked his head, staring at the Professor in confusion.

"In our world, Werewolves are looked down upon by many wizards, although the person is at no fault for being a werewolf. They did not ask to be bitten." Severus scorned, making his opinion on the topic quite clear. His lover met his eyes with a grateful look. "Werewolves are much like gays in the muggle world. They are treated much the same." He added in explanation at the confused expression of the boy.

"Gays, Professor... Severus? Is that what Uncle calls Faeries?" Harry asked, turning his head to look at the Professor again. It was much harder to call his professor by his given name than it was to call the other man. He did not know the other man well, but he had known Professor Snape for a long time!

"Although your disgusting Uncle leaves much to be desired, yes. In the muggle world we are referred to as that by some closed-minded fools. You cannot tell anyone that Remus is a werewolf, Harry. But it is perfectly fine to mention that we are your guardians." Severus sighed, wishing briefly that the child was a bit older. But he quelled that thought quickly. If Harry was older, he would be harder to reach. At least he was still a child, still willing to accept being treated like a child. "And now, Mr. Potter, let's get you back into bed so that we can take care of those bruises of yours." He intoned sternly.

Harry merely clutched tired to him, refusing to budge even when Severus stood up. He wrapped his arms and legs tightly around the man, grinning impishly.

"Are you a monkey, Mr. Potter?" Severus scowled, teasing the child. He did glare at Remus, of course that man would have a magical camera hidden on his person! He glared at the camera before glancing down at the cheeky boy. "Come now, Harry. I know your body aches." He added gently.

The child finally loosen his grip, allow Severus to maneuver him back onto the bed. He gasped when he was rolled onto his stomach and the hospital gown pushed aside but stilled as the cold, gentle hands started rubbing the warm salve into his skin. He squeaked when it was rubbed into his still sore body, relaxing when the soreness quickly faded. In short order he was rolled back over and tucked under the covers once more.

"Good boy." Severus murmured, brushing the unruly hair out of the boy's eyes. Perhaps it was time for a hair cut.

"If you are well enough, Harry, we will take you to get shopping tomorrow and then move you into our quarters." Remus added quietly, watching the small boy's eyes start to flutter close, even as the boy fought back a yawn.

"Back to sleep, brat. We will be here when you wake." Severus ordered quietly, smirking when the boy finally did fall asleep. He turned silently to his partner and opened his arms. Remus was in them within a second and he hugged the wolf tightly to himself. They could do this. They would do this. This child needed healing and he had already stolen both of their hearts.

-x-


	4. One Step at a Time

_A/N: Still do not own. AU and non-canon complaint! Italics are usually thoughts and x's are major scene breaks. Alexis plans, Harry shops, and relationships start in evolve. A bit of Alexis past is revealed, toward the end. So just...read it. And let me know what you think. Much of a filler chapter but it has its purpose._

_~Case  
_

-x-

The young healer sighed, pacing the length of her quarters. She tended to do that often of late. It was slightly calming but it also helped her to process her thoughts better. She had finally, _finally_, finished sorting through all of the student records, including the current detention files. _After_ firing the caretaker. A man who hated children so much should _not_ be allowed to work with them, not at all. Sometimes she wondered precisely what Dumbledore had been thinking, for there were clearly situations in which he hadn't been thinking, at all! If he wasn't dead...but he was. And the last time she had hexed his portrait, early this morning actually, the damn fool had threatened to tell Tim. Like her old mentor would have any control over her. As he was currently sitting in the chair that he now claimed, sorting through the pile of files she had handed him, perhaps he did have a little bit of influence.

"We will need someone to check on each of these children, if not all of the known cases. I can assign a member of my team to each house and have them split the larger pile with the current staff in residence. It would help if the child knew the person checking on them, but if that is not possible, there are other ways of going about this. These ten are critical, as well as having someone check on each muggleborn and raised on this list." The older, brown-haired healer remarked finally. Tim held the piece of parchment out to the younger healer, moving the files around a bit. They were separated into piles, depending on the severity of each known case. The very worst cases, fifteen files in total, were marked with a green dot and moved to her side of the table. Ten students who should not be residing in their homes and five who possibly needed to be removed. That, of course, did not count the students Albus had already remove, they were a separate pile, one that also needed checking up on.

"If possible, all of these children need a visit, to make sure that they are safe." Alexis sighed, scanning the list quickly. Visiting nearly eighty children was not the problem, not really. It was more of what to do with those children if they did need to be removed from their homes. There was no way to find _good_ foster families for all of those children. All raising first year muggleborn and raised children would be getting a visit soon, with their letters and explanations. The teachers who did those visits would be asked to discreetly check each child for signs of abuse. The younger muggleborns, the ones not quite old enough for Hogwarts, would also need a visit soon. It might help their families to know now, instead of later, that the child was magical. It would also help screen for abuse. But what to do with the children? Summer school, although good for first years, would not make many of the older students happy unless they wanted to learn more and get ahead, or desperately needed the added lessons. The children could stay at Hogwarts but idle hands caused much trouble and mischief. As well as not having quite enough staff to watch them if they were everywhere, all at once. Perhaps..."Summer camp." She remarked suddenly, gray eyes sparking at the thought.

"Summer camp?" Tim raised an eyebrow, glancing up from the file he was reading over again.

"What do we do with children who have been abused and neglected? We cannot let them run free nor do the staff particularly want to give up their own summer break. But what child does not enjoy a holiday camp? And how many abused children would get to go to one? We can turn Hogwarts into a camp. It's perfect!" She exclaimed, smirking at the older healer.

Tim merely chuckled, shaking his head. "You will have to run the idea by the staff as well as finding counselors to help with them, although I can help with that. Housing them will not be hard, I'd imagine that Hogwarts has a cluster of unused rooms that the house elves will gladly clean and will be perfect for bunking children by age. The older ones might not like the idea too much, but I'm sure there could be something there for them." He replied quietly, thinking it over quickly. It was a good idea, a solid idea. And it could work well.

-x-

The child was finally awake and dressed in his school robes. They would have to buy him clothes today. Severus watched Harry for several moments, as the boy pushed around his food. Clearly the child was not used to regular meals, even after two years at Hogwarts. They were still in the hospital wing, Poppy had promised to release the boy as soon as he had eaten. "Eat, Mr. Potter." He growled finally, ignoring Remus' pointed look.

Harry groaned, taking another small bite of the food. He wasn't really hungry, he was never hungry. He didn't see why he had to eat, it wasn't like he could eat at the Dursleys. He finally pushed his plate away, green eyes pleading. He couldn't eat anymore, he'd be sick if he did.

Remus sighed, glancing at the half eaten meal. The child's stomach was shrunken, he would have to start eating a little more at each meal. Although it didn't help that neither of his guardians ate very much. That would change now. He did not have a choice, in the past, over whether he could eat or not. But now that he was here, with constant meals and surrounded by Severus, he would be healthy once more. As would his partner, if he had anything to say about it. "Alright Harry, it's alright. We understand that you cannot stomach much food right now. With time and good nutrition, you should be able to eat more. But it will take time." He replied calmly, vanishing the plate. " And now, I believe, the three of us can head to London."

-x-

London. They were in _London._ And determined to buy him a new wardrobes. As well as toys. _Toys!_ He was nearly thirteen! He didn't need toys. Well...the quidditch action figures were quite cool and many of the boys in his dorm had them...but surely twelve was too old for toys! He had never had toys, no reason to start now. Harry sighed, running his fingers through his, now much shorter, hair. Professor Snape had dragged him to a muggle barber and demanded that his hair was made less wild. The barber had worked magic, his hair actually laid flat! Although he doubted that would last for very long. But now they were in yet another muggle clothes store. The last one had been for shoes. He didn't quite understand why he needed three pairs of trainers and two pairs of dress shoes. He was used to wearing the same pair of trainers all the time, no reason to change that now.

Severus bit back a growl, surveying the preteen. The boy was driving him insane, completely insane. And not just his put out over not being allowed to buy his own clothes. He was twelve for Merlin's sake! What twelve-year-old worried about the price of new trainers? But no, they could not have a normal child. They had to get the one who only wanted to buy the cheapest, poorly made clothing and shoes. "You may choose any ten shirts, as long as they are not vulgar. " He barked finally, meeting green eyes with his own dark orbs. The child did seem to relax a bit, rummaging through the racks of t-shirts. Thankfully, Remus had already chosen the boy's trousers, pants, and socks. As well as some nice button downs, but they wanted the child to have clothes to play in and get dirty in. He was a boy, after all. He was bound to get dirty just by going outside. When the boy finally picked out the required number of shirts, Severus gave a relieved sigh. It took the child long enough and they still had to go to Diagon to get new school clothes and formal robes, as well as some playthings and books for the child. Oh, how he hated shopping!

The trip to get new robes took longer than he had hoped. Of course, Alexis had glared at him this morning and thrust a pouch into Severus' hand with the instructions to get Remus new robes, for teaching and everyday wear. He had tried to argue that but the young woman had merely raised an eyebrow and snarled something about kindness repaid. He chuckled at that thought, shifting through the collection of swatches and colours. Black teaching robes were a must but Severus had demanded that he get something colourful for a 'night on the town'. He finally settled on two colours, pointing them out to the salesman. Madam Malkins was great for school robes but not so much for grown wizards. And since Severus frequented this robes store, the owner knew him well. Which meant they were treated well. Thankfully, the younger man had decided to take Harry to the nearby bookstore, so he could buy clothing in private. There was no need for the child to know that his wizarding robes were threadbare and falling to pieces. His muggle clothing was in much better shape, but he had lived in the muggle world until a few weeks prior.

Severus growled, stalking down the clustered aisles of the bookstore. He could not find that blasted child! He had told him to find a few books and meet him at the counter in twenty minutes. That was nearly an hour ago! Granted, he had also gotten distracted by some new potions research but still! He billowed around a corner and stopped short. The child was sitting on the floor in a small corner, nearly invisible because of the pile of books surrounding him. "Those books had all better not be about Quidditch, Mr. Potter." He drawled suddenly, causing the child to jump. He bit back a smirk, surveying the pile of books.

Harry grimaced, looking up. He had completely lost track of time and he knew he was in trouble. But the professor didn't seem that angry at all. He looked at the floor, or well the bit he could see, instead of meeting the professor's eyes. The books weren't all on Quidditch. He had found quite a few adventure books as well as some interesting books on defense and healing. There was also, of course, a 'Marvin the Mad Muggle' comic tossed in there. Not that he actually liked those comics, but the other boys swore by them. "They're not, Professor." He muttered, pulling himself off the floor. He picked up two of the books, no way was he going to be allowed to get all of them!, and turned to go.

"Harry, you may get as many books as you like." Severus stated quietly, carefully resting a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. To the child's credit, he barely flinched, but then he had seen him move. It would take time to gain the child's trust but he had hope that it could be done. When the boy merely shrugged he sighed, summoning the pile of books. He sorted through them quickly, pulling out a horrid comic, before holding the books out to the boy. He summoned another comic book and added it to the pile, raising an eyebrow at the child who still refused to look at him. "You may have all of these, Mr. Potter. Now kindly take them before my arm falls off." He drawled.

Harry glanced up, biting back a giggle. His professor was quite funny sometimes. He took the pile of books, shifting the stack of books until it felt secure and comfortable. His eyes, however, were automatically drawn to the comic on top. "Professor?" He asked quietly, meeting the man's eyes with confused green orbs. He had not picked up this comic, nor had he seen it before. It did look much more interesting that 'Marvin' though.

Severus smirked at the boy, holding up the Marvin the Mad Muggle comic. The comic was complete rubbish, usually only read by those raised in the Wizarding world. Muggleborns, and many halfbloods, found it quite...offensive. "I will not have you reading this nonsense. However, 'Carlo and the Dragon' is much more appropriate."

Harry grinned, clutching the pile of books to his chest. "Thank you, Professor!"

"Very well, Harry. Now, shall I pay for this lot so that we can go meet Remus?" He gave a small smile, not bothering to correct the boy just yet. In time, he knew, Harry would become more comfortable with calling him by his name. But it was not pressing at the moment.

-x-

Two more hours of shopping, including convincing the young teenager that he was not too old for toys, and they were finally back home. Or well, back at the castle. It was time to show the child their humble joint quarters. Remus smiled fondly at the boy, stopping outside a door in the dungeons. Their quarters had a quick passageway up to Gryffindor tower now, thanks to the Headmistress, as well as a room suitable for a teenage boy. They were also now larger, because instead of just Severus living here, the three of them would now share these quarters.

Wide green eyes took in the living quarters. The main room was wide and comfortable, with well-worn sofas and armchairs set near a fireplace. There were no portraits on the walls, but rather they were covered with bookshelves. There was one painting over the fireplace, a swirl of colours and contrast. But it was not loud or attention drawing, rather subtle. The room was warm, in shades of browns and blues. Beautiful. Who knew that his Potions Professor had such tastes! There was a small kitchen set off to one side, as well as a hallway. The Professor was surveying him, standing in said hallway.

"Come, Harry." Severus ordered, motioning the boy away from his scrutinizing of his, no _their, _living quarters. "This door leads to my private lab, which you are not allowed in without my express promise and _never_ alone. These two doors lead to the Slytherin and Gryffindor common rooms, which are not to be used this summer as they are both undergoing much transformation. This is Remus' and my room. That is the main bathroom and this is your room." Severus stated briskly, pointing to each room in turn. The two passageways were warded against wondering boys, but it was best to let the child know also. The boy was merely staring at him, mouth gaping. "You'll catch flies, Mr. Potter." He drawled, raising an eyebrow.

Harry gawped at the Professor, confused and delighted. It was a lot of information to be sure. But it was real! He had a room! So they must want to keep him, especially with all that money they spent on him! He would have to pay them back of course and he knew he would have to earn his keep, but damn! He had a home. A real one.

"Harry? Why don't you check out your room." Remus suggested quietly, watching a variety of emotions flash through the child's eyes.

Harry hesitated for a moment but slowly pushed the door open. He gasped suddenly, eyes wide. The room was muted browns and blues, like the rest of the quarters, but it also had moving stars on the ceiling and a charmed window. There was a window seat and plenty of bookshelves, as well as a desk and wardrobe. But best of all was the bed. It had a deep royal blue comforter and blue sheets. It was a bit on the high side, but it was beautiful and it was so soft! He knew that, of course, because he had instantly thrown himself upon it, before looking sleepily up at his two guardians. Remus had merely grinned and the professor had his own half smile...he was so lucky! "Thank you thank you thank you!"

"Not at all, child. It is our pleasure to give you this room."Remus replied softly, meeting the boy's eyes. He was surprised when Harry suddenly hugged him before the boy let go just as quickly.

Severus sighed, watching Harry blush and look down. "No need to be embarrassed, Harry. We all get excited sometimes." He remarked quietly. The child merely nodded, turning back to survey his room. _No child should be ashamed of wanting physical contact. _ He mused silently, exchanging glances with Remus.

"Well, Harry. We'll let you get unpacked and settled in. We will be in the main room if you need us." Remus stated quietly, enlarging the packages they had bought. He set the bags on the floor, giving the boy a quiet smile. His only answer was a small, timid nod. With a sigh he took Severus hand and they both slipped from the room, allowing the child some much-needed alone time.

-x-

Alexis sighed, turning to the three older man who sat in her quarters. This was beginning to become quite a familiar routine. "I take it Harry's reactions were quite...shocking." She stated dryly, taking in the two tumblers of a light brandy.

"Not many twelve-year-olds insist buying their own clothes, nor that they are too old for models and figurines. I am aware that the Gryffindor common room does not have any toys and few games, but many of my fifth and sixth years still have those models and games! It took a calming draft to get the child to relax enough to sleep _in_ his bed. " Severus growled, scowling into his brandy.

"Harry is not... a typical child. He needs much more than we can give him; he needs you, Tim. Without a mind healer, I'm afraid we will lose him." Remus added quietly, swirling his brandy around its tumbler.

"I will meet him tomorrow afternoon. Alexis has a few plans that need to be put in place before noon. Harry does not just need a healer, he needs a family and you both will give him the love and care he craves. Don't doubt yourselves." Tim replied calmly, watching both of the younger men with barely concealed concern. His palm itched with calming magic, but he knew that was not what they needed now. They, too, would need to heal, but it could not be forced on his part.

"Plans?" Severus asked sharply, raising an eyebrow at the younger woman.

"Yes plans. Tim is going to acquire some good counselors for Hogwarts summer camp and I have to speak with the teaching staff in residence as well as the house elves." Alexis shrugged, dropping easily into her armchair. She propped her feet up on the table, ignoring the looks of disapproval, and started to rapidly drum her fingers. It was a nervous habit, hard to break.

"Professor Headmistress miss be needing somethings?" The house-elf that appeared frowned at the young woman, glancing briefly toward her feet.

"No thank you, Minzi. We are set." Alexis replied with ease. It had taken awhile but she had quickly learned how to work with the house-elves, especially the one who seemed assigned to her specifically.

Minzi tilted her head to the side briefly before wagging her finger at the Headmistress. "Yous be needing some eats, miss. You have not eaten today." She argued, snapping her fingers. A tray popped into the room, hovering near the table.

Alexis growled, glaring at the little elf. It didn't matter if she had been too busy to eat or sleep lately. She had a school to safe. That could come later! She didn't need food now. "Thank you, Minzi." She snarled through gritted teeth.

"If you woulds kindly remove your feet miss, they be not belonging on the furnishings!" Minzi scowled. The Headmistress had the decency to blush, dropping her feet off the table and onto a footstool that popped into view. Minzi grinned and bowed, popping away just as quickly as she had appeared.

"Meddling elf." She hissed, glaring at the platter of food.

"I agree with the elf, Alexis. You need to eat." Tim scolded gently, leaning forward and fixing a plate of food from the tray. He held the plate out to the young woman, it wasn't that much, really, and raised an eyebrow. Alexis huffed but took the plate, glaring at it as if the plate had personally insulted her.

"Hogwarts holiday camp, Alexis? For this summer? That's a bit of a rush." Remus remarked finally, causing the young woman to look over at him. He was quite glad, at that moment, that he did not have Tim's job. He had to act as parent, teacher, and mind-healer to Harry and the Gryffindors but he never would have been as unfazed as Tim when faced with someone like Alexis. He had been a counselor before, and was quite willing to be one once more, so he knew the disease that both Alexis and Severus fought. But he also remembered Severus' words, nearly two years ago now. It was Alexis' first summer at Hogwarts, after her first year of teaching. And Severus had said _"Albus hired her for a reason. Several, actually. Her fiery protectiveness for one. Her stubbornness and willpower. Even beaten, raped, and tortured she was still fighting with every ounce of life that she had." _ The woman in front of him, the one who would die for her students, would probably fight any healer who tried to work with her. Except for Tim. He didn't pity the man though, not at all.

"Yes, it is. But it is necessary. I will not allow my students to remain in unfit homes and dangerous situations for a moment longer. Once everything is in place I hope to have current teaching staff and Tim's team visiting every single child that is suspected of being abused. The camp should not be too hard to put together. With sanctioned activities and clear rules, it should work well. If nothing else, we will know what not to do next year." Alexis sighed, finally picking up the blasted fork and taking a small bite of her potatoes. It was only the thought of her students, and teachers, who needed her at her strongest that she finally felt hunger. True hunger.

Severus glanced at Remus, meeting the man's eyes for a moment. The sandy-haired man gave a small nod and he sighed. "If it is possible, we will help as needed. Our first priority is to the hurting child in our quarters. But Remus and I would like to help." He stated quietly, watching the headmistress sharply. She merely nodded, gray eyes meeting his.

"Hogwarts could use all the help that She can get." Alexis replied finally, steel eyes traveling to each of the men in turn. "So could I."


	5. So Mote It Be

A/N-_ Why yes, it is quite a long chapter...to make up for the wait. A lot happens here but it just didn't want to be broken up. Harry meets Tim, two new healers join the team, and the first of the holdiay camp kids arrive...in less than good condition. Enjoy and let me know what you think. Also, I do not own, AU, and non-canon complaint. AND -x's are scene breaks, Italics are thoughts! There is talk of eating disorders and non-descriptive abuse! And finally, use your words._

_~Case  
_

_-x-  
_

Severus groaned, rolling over. It was just past three in the morning and something was chiming. It took him a moment to realize what it was. In an instant he was off the bed, throwing on a warm robe. It was cold in the Dungeons after all. Remus was also awake, but watching him. He gave the man a brief nod, he would call if he needed help, and went to tend to Harry.

Harry was deep in sleep, thrashing around on his bed. The screams that tore from his throat, the ones he tried to desperately stop. He was begging and he knew he had to be quiet but it hurt so bad!

"Harry? Harry, it's just a dream." Severus murmured, hesitating. He had already canceled the silencing spell, he was willing to bed that the child did not realize that he did that. He could shake the child awake but that could cause him to sink further into the nightmare. From the boy's pleads, he could guess what the dream was about. _Stupid muggles. You better hope I never see you again._ "Harry, child. You are safe, you are at Hogwarts. In our quarters. Come on Mr. Potter, wake up." He repeated briskly, hoping his tone would get through to the child. The boy stirred, groaning. "You are safe, Harry. You can wake up now. No one will harm you here. I swear that to you."

Harry groaned, blearily opening his eyes. He hurt so much, ached all over. He wasn't sure if it was from his thrashing about or the remainder of the beating his uncle had given him just three days prior. The bruising was nearly gone and he would not complain about it. He was not ungrateful, after all. "Sorry professor." He croaked, staring at his hands.

"Harry...you do not have to apologize for nightmares child." Severus replied softly, silently summoning a calming draft. For him or the boy was a bit unclear, but one of them would need it. Soon.

"But I woke you sir." Harry whispered, glancing up at the professor. Oh, how he missed his fringe! He could no longer hide behind his hair. Damn.

"I am rather glad you did." Severus sighed, watching the child. He looked like he was in pain. "Are you hurt, Harry?"

"Just a little sore, sir." Harry murmured, looking down again. Why did he have to be such a baby? No one else had nightmares like that! No one else woke their professor by screaming! Stupid dreams.

Severus nodded, summoning a pain potion. He caught the two vials with ease, dark orbs focused only on the child. "Could you tell me about your dream, Harry?" He asked softly. His answer was a frantic shake of the boy's head. "It will make you feel better."

"Please sir...I can't." Harry whispered, biting his lip. If he talked about it, that made it real and although it had happened, he didn't want it to be real. He didn't want to remember.

"Alright Harry. We won't talk about it tonight. But know that you can always talk to Remus and I about anything. Do you think you can sleep, child?" Severus sighed, knowing better than to argue with the child. His trust was still so fragile, it was easily broken. Harry gave the tiniest of nods, not looking up. "Alright child. I want you to take these two potions for me, and then I will stay until you fall asleep."

Harry looked up with shocked green eyes. No one had ever done that for him before. Not ever. He was too old to be sat with, wasn't he? After all, he was nearly thirteen. His professor offered him one vial and he took it slowly, sniffing it. He finally tipped it back, grimacing at the taste. The second vial was handed over and he swallowed it quickly. This one actually tasted much better, almost sweet. He instantly felt calmer and his soreness was gone. His eyes started to droop, as a blanket was pulled back up around him and tucked in. His eyes fluttered and he finally gave back into sleep.

Severus watched the child for several minutes in silence, watching the chest of that too small frame raise and fall. He brushed the boy's hair away from his head, before turning and leaving the sleeping child in peace. Hopefully the calming draft would keep the nightmares away for the rest of the night. He sighed, easing himself back into his own bed. Remus met his eyes and enveloped him into a tight embrace, kissing him gently. He had not thought that raising this child would be so tough, so heart-wrenching. Because their child was hurting and there wasn't much he could do. Not alone, anyway. He nestled into Remus and closed his own eyes, letting sleep take over.

-x-

Tim sighed, frowning down at the younger woman. He had just stepped out of her floo, glad that he had the password to her personal quarters. It was just after three in the morning, and she was still awake. And working. "Alexis."

Alexis glanced up from the piles of parchment, frowning at the healer. She hadn't even noticed him arriving, huh. "May I help you?" She raised any eyebrow, glancing at the timepiece above the floo. After three. She wasn't going to get to sleep again. Grand.

"You have ten minutes to finish what you are doing and change for bed." Tim ordered briskly, moving to pick up some loose sheaves of parchment that had found their way onto the floor.

"I'm not a child, Tim." She snapped, not even looking up. She remembered quite well how he treated her during her apprenticeship. He had been a great mentor, but he had been quite...annoying. He had always been that way. He used to make her go to sleep then, too. Once she caught hold of something, she felt the need to stay wake until she finished it. Logically, she knew that she could not possibly stay awake until Hogwarts was completely healed. That would be...disastrous. "How did you know?" She added, glancing up at him.

"You are running yourself to the ground. My alert charms and a concerned elf are quite efficient for keeping track of such things. You might not be a child, Alexis. But you did give me control over your health, health that you are currently endangering. I could ban you from working until you have gained a stone and sleep on a constant schedule. But as that is not possible, you will eat and sleep when I tell you, if you want any chance to save this school." Tim replied quietly, straightening up the quarters as he moved about. "Five minutes."

She growled a curse under her breath, scribbling a note on a piece of parchment and waving her hand. The parchment sheaves straightened themselves into neat piles. She placed the note on top and stood with a groan. Damn man. "Dreamless?" It was almost a plead, and she knew he would notice that.

Tim hesitated for a moment but gave a quick nod. "Go get ready for bed, I will be in there in a a few minutes with your potion." He watched her leave the room, entering into her bed chambers, and sighed. He continued to pick up the sitting room, organizing books and quills. The young woman had been up for over a day, according to her house-elf. Her request for Dreamless Sleep was bit worrying, for he knew that the young woman was not addicted to it. Rather, it meant that she could not sleep on her own. Worrying indeed. He sorted through the vials in a pocket of his robes, always better to be prepared after all, removing the light blue potion.

Alexis groaned, sitting down of her bed. She had to have a pesky, annoying healer. Not a normal one who would leave her alone and falter under pressure. No, she had to have Tim, who had known her for years, who spoke her native language, who taught her all she knew about Touch and Mind-healing. The same man who was standing in her doorway, surveying her with a potion in one hand. Damn man.

Tim paused in the doorway for a moment before striding into the room. He needed to do a full work up on all of his new patients, but it could wait until a decent hour. The younger woman was way too thin and too pale. But he would fight that battle after she had a few hours of sleep in her. Alexis had a tight grip on her temper, but when she was exhausted she could become quite...volatile. "Come on, Alexis. Under the covers, please." He ordered quietly.

She growled at him but obeyed, slipping under the dark purple blankets with ease. She was quite cold, even in this warm room. Steel eyes glared at him as he sat on the edge of her bed, offering her the blessed dreamless sleep. It kept her from being plagued by nightmares, at the very least. She silently took the vial, ignoring the gentle hand on her shoulder. The calming magic that seeped through her body made her eyes flutter briefly, her body relax. With a small sigh, she downed the potion, letting her mind ease into a peaceful, dreamless, relaxing sleep.

Tim pulled the covers up around the younger woman, tucking them in. He knew she would be mortified at that, but he had cared for the younger woman when she was sick or exhausted before. Sick because of exhaustion, usually. Damn woman didn't know her own limits. He cast a simple monitoring spell, leaving the room to head to his own bed. Hopefully, the potion would keep her asleep for the rest of the night, she desperately needed it.

-x-

Alexis surveyed the staff room from where she stood. Her professors had all fallen silent when she had mentioned the holiday camp. She knew, of course, that she already had Filius, Remus, and Severus' support. But it would be nice if the rest of the staff in residence would also support this project. Of course, the room had not been so quiet when she mentioned the new points system. Years of ingrained behavior would be hard to break at first, but it could be done. It was this waiting that got to her the most. Waiting for their opinions and suggestions while her students were hurting. She had already spoken to the house-elves and a group of them had dashed off to make some rooms appropriate for a camp. Now it was just the staff, the staff who were gazing at her with curiosity and...pride. Damn old people.

"A holiday camp, you said? I believe we could make that work. Perhaps if we broke the children up by age group, say eleven to thirteen or fourteen and up, we could have activities that would work for each age group. I went to a muggle holiday camp as a child and I do remember quite a few of the camp activities. We could do both muggle and magical games and crafts." Charity remarked finally, breaking the silence. She was not the muggle studies professor for nothing. She was a muggleborn, with a deep understanding of muggle culture. It did sound like a good idea, a way to help hurting children.

"If we add a therapeutic aspect to it, it would work well to help these children cope. We would, of course, need close supervision on all but the oldest of the groups, with structure and rules for all of the students, but it is worth a try." Septima Vector added, doing a few quick calculations in her mind. She taught arithmancy and was quite good with turning to numerology to solve problems and find answers. The math was suggesting strongly that this could work. Of course, similar calculations had her deciding to work with the sarcastic dark man who sat frowning at the Headmistress. Slytherin house would do well with two heads of house, especially two who were Slytherins themselves.

Alexis turned gray eyes back on the room at large. The murmurs of agreement were enough to make her happy. Good, if the staff was on board then the programme could go ahead without having to falter. "Alright then, that's settled. Now, there is a need for some home visits, some of which need to occur as soon as humanly possible. Would anyone object to making these visits? I could use all of your help with this. Tim is working to set up counselors, of both the mind-healing and holiday camp type. Any help at all would be appreciated." She remarked finally, pulling three sheets of parchment out of her robe pocket. One was the group that Albus had removed, another the ones who needed help now, and the last the entirety of the known cases. She met each of their eyes at turn, quite pleased when each of them gave her a quick nod. Good. "I have lists here of each student, which can be divided up between all of us. These two lists are top priority, they need visits first. There are nearly eighty children total, so it might take a week or so to get to them all, but as many as possible as soon as possible." She sighed, finally dropping into a chair with grace. The gasps at her statement were not shocking, nor were the muttered curses. She had felt much the same way at first. "Any student who needs to be removed should be brought directly back here. If there is a problem...contact Severus, Tim, or myself immediately." She added quietly, passing the lists to her right, to Filius. The man silently too the lists, making copies of them with a tap of his wand. Those copies were quickly passed around, the originals being handed back to her.

"By your leave Ale- Headmistress, I would like to attend to some of these students now."Filius remarked quietly, his eyes scanning the first sheaf of parchment. He knew all of these students, some were Ravenclaws. He had taught them all and he wanted to make them safe, as soon as he could. There were so many wrongs to right and not so much time to do it in.

Alexis bit back a snort. She was several decades younger than the man, the youngest person in the room. And although that would change, she knew some of Tim's team and a few of the teacher assistants, were her age or younger, it was just...mind-boggling for this man that she respected to call her by anything but her name. "While I appreciate the title, please, all of you, just call me Alexis. It will save all of us a bit of a headache." She scowled at Filius for a moment, before turning her sharp gaze around the room. After all, they had all called Albus by his name the majority of the time, unless they were surrounded by students. She knew that they would understand that fact quite clearly. No need to call her by that title whilst in private. "And yes, please. As soon as possible." She added as an after thought, sneering at the now chuckling Severus. Damn man. The professors departed soon after that, discussing who was going where first. Good, finally some progress.

"Did you sleep at all, Alexis?" Severus asked finally, breaking the silence. It was just him and the younger woman left now. Remus was in their quarters with Harry, to let the child get used to him. There were circles under the woman's eyes, but they did look less pronounced than the day before.

"I did." She growled, turning her eyes from the parchment she was reading, for there was always some paperwork that needed her attention. "Did you?" She raised an eyebrow at him. He looked tired, the beginning of circles under his own eyes.

"Some." He admitted quietly. He was willing to bet that her sleep had not just been a drugged one but also forced."Harry was having nightmares." His dark orbs met gray and he noted the concern there, not just for the child but also for him.

"I'm not surprised. He needs to talk about them, and his life with those muggles. Tim should be back this afternoon and he did mention something this morning about meeting with Harry." Alexis replied finally, watching the man that she thought of as a brother. It wasn't until recently that she realized he felt the same toward her. A family made was sometimes better than a family born into. She knew that and young Harry would learn it too. All of her hurting students would, for Hogwarts and Her staff would become their family.

Severus raised an eyebrow at her. What she did not say spoke volumes. "He convinced you to eat." He stated finally, watched her carefully. Remus had done much the same this morning, using logic and pleading as an incentive to get him to eat more than a few bites of food. Harry would copy what they did, so his guardians needed to eat healthily. But Alexis...she did not have a child to act as an incentive. Well, she did have a school to run, perhaps that would help. Knowing Alexis as he did, it might not. The woman was constantly taking on tasks and forgetting to sleep and eat, putting it off until she had more time. Hmpf.

_How the hell he got that from a simple sentence! _"I said no such thing." She snapped, glancing around the room to make sure they were truly alone. They were. Severus was one of the few people she didn't mind discussing this with. It helped that he had similar issues with food. Both of them had grown up in neglectful environments. Food was not always a given and then when it was, it was a control. She could control whether or not she ate, what she ate. And she had been doing just fine until Albus passed on. An urgent need for control, yes. But she also just didn't have the time. It was never about her body, not anymore. But the control...it was freeing.

"You didn't have to. I know you, Alexis." Severus retorted, raising a brow at the younger woman. The way she had said Tim's name, as almost a snarl, had been a dead give away. Her answer was an even bigger one. The Headmistress was an _ex_-anorexic, just as he was. But she needed to be healthy to take care of Hogwarts. If she wanted to do all that she said, she needed to be better. "Eating...is not ideal, to either of us. But you have a school to run, a school that needs you at your best. I will brew a stronger Nutrition potion for you, it will help but it cannot replace food. You know this." He added softly, nearly black eyes meeting steely gray ones.

"Tim said much the same this morning." She sighed, finally looking away. She knew that she had to be at her best and she would give Hogwarts her best. It was just...hard. And sometimes a bit humiliating, to admit that she needed help. "He didn't have to force me to eat, though." She added with a sneer.

"Knowing Tim as I do, he probably thought he did." His reply was not harsh nor sarcastic. It was soft, kind. As he could be, when he chose. As he often was, actually. Tim had been his healer years ago and was, once more, taking over that role. But not as thoroughly as the older man was doing for Alexis. He did not need another person in charge of his healthy, he had Remus after all. But Alexis did. She would neglect her health for her students, and that would not help them at all. Stubborn girl.

-x-

Harry grumbled, kicking his feet back and forth. He did not quite understand what he was doing here, sitting in this 'office'. It looked like a sitting room with a large oak desk set off to one side. Much more comfortable than his professor's office was, anyway. There were no creepy, floating things here. But there were plenty of books, several of which were not in a language he recognized. His professors were out in the hallway, speaking with some tall brown-haired man. About him, he knew. But he didn't like it.

Tim paused in the doorway, which he had left open. A silencing spell had ensured that the child did not hear their conversation, he had wanted to watch the child when he thought he was not being observed. Well, it was quite time to speak with Harry. He also wanted to run his own examination, although it would be a simple one. Because Alexis and Poppy had both done full works on the child, Alexis had even managed a touch scan at one point. Tim gave a small sigh, stepping into the room. It had already been a long day and it was going to be much longer. "Hello Harry. My name is Tim. I am a healer." He stated finally, watch the child closely. The boy did not even flinch, so he must had known he was in the room.

"I'm not sick, sir." Harry replied with a frown, turning to look at the man. _What is it with adults giving their first names? So weird._ He did not meet the older man's eyes, he knew better than that. Even if Remus and the professor kept asking him to look at them. These adults just didn't understand the rules and their rules weren't actually rules. Perhaps they were just confused. Hm.

"No, you are not. However, I am not just a physical healer. There are some wounds which are invisible, that are inside. I also work to heal those wounds." Tim explained quietly, dropping into his favourite armchair. The green eyed child was refusing to look at him still, kicking his feet against his own armchair.

"I don't need healing." Harry muttered, glaring at his feet. He didn't need to be healed, he wasn't crazy. Only crazy people needed therapists, that's what aunt said, and wasn't that what Tim was? A therapists.

"You do. You need to talk about it Harry, before it eats away at you. Talking about whats bothering you helps, trust me it does. That's what I'm here for, so that you have someone to talk to. Whether you chose the subject or I do, it will help. You just have to let me help you." Tim replied calmly, biting back a sigh. All children reacted the same way at first. Hopefully the boy would agree to work with him.

Harry snorted, shaking his head. There was nothing to talk about, he was perfectly fine. It was the adults who needed help, after all. He knew better than to tell. "I'm fine, sir." Harry shrugged, still not meeting Tim's eyes.

Tim shook his head, closing his eyes briefly. _Merlin grant me patience._ "You might be fine Harry, but wouldn't you prefer to not have nightmares?" He replied with a slight frown. The boy merely shrugged. "Harry, did your relatives have rules that you had to follow?" He asked finally, raising an eyebrow in thought. Perhaps the child thought he would get in trouble if he spoke.

Harry glanced up at the healer, scowling. Of course there were rules, all adults had rules. Even if some didn't know how to make good rules. "Yes sir." Perhaps the healer would agree with those rules, even if some of them had been quite terrible and hard to follow.

"Could you tell me what these rules were, Harry?"

He forced himself not to roll his eyes, gazing off passed the healer's left shoulder. "No food unless my chores were finished, no asking questions or talking back. No tracking mud." The last had been Aunt Petunia's rule for all of them, funnily enough. "No using the word 'magic' or wizard', no freakishness, no homework. No talking about what went on in the house." Harry shrugged, simple enough really. But not so easy to follow.

Tim took a deep breath, it was no worse than other abused children. But that did not make it alright, especially the 'no food' rule. It was not surprising that the child was so small then. "And what happened if you broke one of these rules, Harry?" The boy paled, going still.

"I got punished sir."

He knew that, but it really was the principal of the matter. He needed the child to tell him about it, so that he could understand what he was trying to heal. "How?" Came the calm, gentle question.

Harry froze. It was against the rules he just recited. Surely the man wasn't dumb? He suddenly smacked his head into his hand, he was not suppose to think badly of adults, he knew that. Stupid, stupid.

"Harry? Put your hands on your knees, please." Tim instructed with a grimace. A child who was prone to harming himself, or perhaps one who had been taught to harm himself for disobedience and 'bad' behaviour. This was going to prove to be a challenge, but he had known that coming in. The fact that the boy obeyed him instantly was telling. Time to lay down his own rules then. "Whatever rules you are following, do not apply here. Severus and Remus will never harm you, nor would they have rules as such. You are allowed to speak freely here Harry. I have only three rules and I want you to remember them, because they are important. The first is that you are always honest with me. I do not appreciate lies. The second is related to that rule. If you do not want to talk about something, then tell me that instead of lying about it or telling me that it is fine. The third is that before you do something dangerous or something that would cause harm to yourself or someone else, that you find an adult you trust to speak to. Do you understand those rules, Harry?" Tim stated finally, observing the child closely.

Harry finally looked up, giving the briefest of nods. They were simple enough rules, close to some of Remus and the professor's rules actually. "Yes sir."

"Good. Now, can you tell me how you were punished Harry? It is really important that I know." Tim smiled at the child, who went back to staring at his trainers. Another ingrained rule or a defense mechanism, he couldn't be sure.

"Yes sir. It depended, really. If I didn't finish all my chores, I usually wasn't allowed to eat and locked in my cupboard. Sometimes uncle was very displeased, especially if Aunt Petunia was out. When she was home, he rarely does more than slap me around or lock me in my cupboard." Harry intoned with a shrug. It was nothing really, a normal punishment for sure.

"And when she was away?"

"Wellll...he used his belt a lot and his fists. Sometimes if he's really angry and I'm cooking, that's one of my chores, he'll put my hand on the burner. Or he'll use a cord. Sometimes he slams me about and he kicks me a lot, but it's really nothing sir." Harry jiggled his leg, trying to be still. But it was impossible at the moment. Nerve-wracking. He had never told no one before. What if the man didn't believe him? Or worse, what if he told uncle? "Please don't tell, sir, please!" He gasped, looking up with frightened green eyes.

Tim took a deep, calming breath, forcing his mind to calm down. He could not go about hexing muggles, it was not conductive to healing Harry. Although it might make _him_ feel better. "Anything you say in this room will not be repeated except to those who need to know, like the Headmistress. I will not tell anyone exactly what you say, unless there is something concerning there. If you are a danger to yourself or others, or if your health is concerned, I do have to tell the Headmistress and your guardians. But Remus and Severus will never hurt you like your relatives did Harry. You will never go back there child, don't even think on that." Tim stated calmly, meeting the boy's eyes for a moment. "Try and calm down Harry, or I will need to give you some calming magic." He added with a small frown. The boy had worked himself up quite a bit.

Harry took a deep breath, not sure if he was quite ready to believe it. It was too good to be true, that he would be free from the Dursleys. "I'm really free sir?" He asked quietly, breaking the silence.

"Yes Harry. You are free from them and safe. You are also loved. I-" He broke off when a Patronus came tumbling into the room.

The silvery fox, Remus' patronus, glided through the closed door and hovered in front of the healer. "You are needed in the Infirmary, as soon as you are able. Severus and Alexis are overwhelmed, and Poppy is not equipped. Charity will be by in a moment." It spoke in Remus' controlled, frantic voice before dissipating. A moment later there was a knock on the door.

Tim sighed. Of all the times, right when he was getting through to the child! "I'm sorry Harry, we will have to continue this later." He replied, standing swiftly. He summoned his bag and a small black notebook. "Here, this is for you. Use it to write down anything that you feel you cannot speak about." He handed the child the notebook, smiling briefly at the boy while waving his hand at the door. It opened and Charity, the muggle studies teacher if he was correct, stepped into the room, looking quite distraught. He put a gentle hand on her shoulder, sending a quick burst of calming magic into her. "How many?" He asked sharply, glancing once more at the child.

"Four. Two are critical and one is...unresponsive. Alexis said to inform you to bring your 'second bag'." Charity replied quietly, before turning to smile at Harry. "Hello Harry. Your guardians are a bit tied up right now but they didn't want you wondering around alone yet. If Tim says it is alright, would you like to go flying?" She glanced at the healer, who was moving around at an almost inhuman speed.

"Use a safety spell and it should be fine. I'll see you later Harry, come to me if you need anything." Tim responded, stepping into the floo.

Harry turned wide green eyes on the professor that he had only seen a few times in passing before. But if the professors trusted her, then she must be okay. Besides she said flying. "Flying? Yes, please." He grinned.

Charity smile at the child, letting him toward the pitch and away from the castle. It was best to be as far away from the infirmary as possible right now. It was not a good sight to see, not at all.

-x-

"Breathe, child. Breathe." Alexis murmured, sending jolts of magic directly to the boy's heart. She heard Tim arrive but ignored him, focusing entirely on bringing this rising Seventh year, a boy close to seventeen, back from the brink of death. His younger sibling was on another bed, heavily sedated. The girl had a fractured rib and a few abrasions, but nothing too serious. He, on the other hand, had nearly died twice since they had portkeyed him to Hogwarts, all of five minutes ago. "Come on child, breathe." She hissed, sending one last bolt into his heart and another to his lungs. She paused, wiping the back of her hand across her face, the use of so much strong magic was draining her. But the only way to save him was with her hands on his chest, pushing the magic into him. Thankfully, his body finally seemed to want to work with her, as his chest finally, finally_,_ started to raise and fall again. Thank Merlin. She sent her magic, more gently this time, back into his body. Touch healing was difficult to master but it worked amazingly. It was also the most draining type of healing. With one hand still on his chest, she picked up her wand again, tracing it over the boy's leg with a muttered spell. The crack of bone made her wince, but the leg aligned itself and she mended the break. She sent a small burst of magic to his lungs, to clear them of fluid, and another to heal a small bit of internal bleeding. All told, the boy had been truly beaten, one of the worse cases she had seen lately. His body made his sister's beating look like a tap, made Harry's beating look light in comparison. He was lucky to be alive.

Tim took a deep breath, surveying the room. Alexis had her hands on a teenager's chest, muttering under her breath. Before he go move to help her, however, she removed her hands and the boy's chest started to raise and fall. He turned his head to find the other three children, catching Remus' eye.

"We need you over here, Tim, if Alexis is alright." Remus called, beckoning toward a bed a few places away. They had spread out so that they would have space, he had never imagined that any of the students would arrive looking like this though. It was just...heartbreaking.

Tim nodded, moving quickly over to the bed. Remus and Poppy both stepped back, letting him take charge. Both were decent healers, but neither could handle the most serious of injuries alone. With a quick diagnostic spell, he grimaced, spelling away the child's outer clothes. He left the underclothes, as they weren't in his way, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder and another on her stomach. He closed his eyes, focusing his magic on the internal bleeding. She had been hit it the ribs with something heavy and one of her ribs was close to piecing her lungs. Her spleen and kidneys were both bruised and her stomach was bleeding. He send the magic through each organ, healing and strengthening it, before tending to the rib. It was a tricky process, especially with the small fracture to her collarbone, but he managed to ease the rib back into place, before waving his wand with a bit of Latin. The bone mended easily and her collarbone cracked, before snapping back into place and healing completely. He summoned one of his healers bags, with he had dropped near the floo, and rummaged in it for a moment before finding the wrap he needed. Although he could heal her ribs and collarbone, both would still be tender and sore for a few days. He wrapped the rib to prevent it from getting re-injuried and to strength it as it finished healing the natural way. She has a few abrasions which were taken care of with a simple balm, before he finally turned from the bed, leaving the now healing child in Poppy's capable hands.

Severus muttered a curse, summoning a potion on the hopes that Tim thought to bring it. A small black bag flew into his hands and he opened it, eyes taking it all of the restricted healing and restorative potions before finding the one he needed. He grabbed it, uncorking the vial with his teeth as he moved his wand it a delicate pattern, murmuring in Latin. His body stopped convulsing long enough for him to open his mouth and pour it the potion, muttering a spell to make the boy sallow. The seizures stopped and he took a deep breath, glancing up at Remus. The slightly older man was tending to abrasions on the child's arms and chest now that he was no longer trying to keep the boy on the bed. He turned back to fixing the damage with a sigh. The boy was no longer critical, since he was breathing on his own and he was not bleeding internally. There were a few injuries he had to repair, but nothing life threatening.

-x-

"You will wear a path in the carpet, Alexis." Tim stated dryly, watching the woman over his cup of tea.

Her quarters felt a bit crowded. Normally it was only Tim, Remus and Severus, or Filius. Never the four of them and Poppy, plus two of Tim's team. The two who had just arrived. Grey eyes glared at him briefly, she did not like being scolded in front of so many people and he knew that, before Alexis finally dropped into her own chair, taking the mug of tea that Remus offered her. "Harry?" She asked softly.

"Charity and Aurora have him engaged in an exciting game of Gobstones in the Great Hall." Remus replied just as quietly. He smiled when the younger woman snorted.

"Ink everywhere then. I always thought it needed redecorating." She drawled, drawing laughs from two of the present professors and a snort from Severus. Good, the mood needed to be lighten. She glanced at Cara Stinkle and Lema Ruse, two of the new mind-healers. Both were trained by Tim. All of his team had been trained by him, at one point or another. An army of Touch-Healers. Exactly what they needed. "Since Tim had no manners, Healers Stinkle and Ruse will be joining our staff as part of a team of mind-healers." She added, nodding to the two women. The blond, Rema, smiled, whilst the redheaded Cara merely looked up from the file she was scanning.

"You have four students here now then? But one is almost of age and none have guardians, do they?" Cara asked quietly, sharp green eyes meeting steel before gazing around the room and finding Tim's brown orbs. He gave a small, brief nod, and she relaxed. She had never been his patient and for that she was thankful. It was hard enough when he had been her teacher, and now, thirty-seven years old, he still intimated her. Tim wore authority like a cloak, he was no-nonsense and gentle at the same time, a great, experienced mind-healer. The nine healer team was strong because of Tim. Two healers for each house and Tim for the staff and specific cases, the harder to reach ones. That was his specialty. Hers was young teenage girls.

"Five students, if you count Harry. And they do have guardians. The school is acting _in loco parentis_ to all students who will spent the summers, just as we do during the school year. Those whose guardianship can be terminated, will. The rest will just be kept safe here. And yes, that includes the boy who is nearly of age. Seventeen might be of age in our world, but very few children are capable of taking care of and supporting themselves at that age. He also has a twelve year old sister and I will _not _separate them. We will find something for him here, but he is _staying_." Alexis snarled, steel eyes flashing. She knew, logically, that the slightly older healer was not challenging her judgment but she was not about to lose one of her children, one of Hogwart's most vulnerable. No way in hell.

"The children are safe here and no one will remove them, Alexis. Healer's oath, remember?" Severus remarked quietly, catching the younger woman's eyes. He held her gaze until she nodded, turning his own gaze to the two new healers. "My sister has a bit of a hot temper when she feels that children at threatened, forgive her." He purred. The younger of the two, Ruse?, blushed and averted her gaze, causing Remus _and_ Filius to snort. Merlin help him if the younger healer had a crush on him!

Alexis bit her lip to keep her mouth from dropping on or from smiling, she wasn't sure which. Well! It was a heavy sort of day, one that dragged healers down. But Severus had just publicly acknowledged her as his _sister!_ And the women probably thought he meant by blood. Although the way Lema was staring at Severus was a bit...hilarious. It was only a matter of time before Remus started snarling and growling possessively. Of course he might not, seeing as Lema was not a threat. At all. Severus was not a blond lover. At all. She bit back a chuckle, meeting Tim's gaze.

Tim nodded, sorting through his pile of paperwork quite clearly. "The four students arrived in varying conditions, as you are all aware. I believe it is Nora and Robert Pioky, twelve and sixteen respectively; Phil Green, fifteen; and Alana Thompson, fourteen. So, that is five students between twelve and sixteen. I'm not sure of their houses, however." He remarked quietly, his voice carrying in the silent room. He glanced at Severus and the younger man nodded with a slight frown.

"Both Pioky's are Slytherins. I've been trying to get Robert removed from his home for six years but he refused for some reason he wouldn't mention, until his sister started Hogwarts and he stopped going home for breaks. Green is a Gryffindor and Thompson is one of Filius'." Severus added, biting back a sigh. It was going to be a long summer, he knew that.

Alexis gave a small nod, deep in thought. She had already known this of course and they had already spoken of the serious injuries that three of the four had sported. She would have to speak with all four separately when they were awake. There was so much work to be done and hopefully it would be enough to help these children. She took a sip of the restorative tea, before setting it down and musing aloud "There is much healing to be done, but we, as a school, will make it so." The prayer and oath went up, a shiver of power running through the room. She was not surprised to here the "so mote it be" the rang up around the room. But she was surprised when the wards flared in her mind and strengthen. She was also surprised when the shimmer of magic shown from each person, brighter than before. An oath indeed. "So mote it be." She whispered with a smile as the world went black.


	6. Discovery

_A/N: Do not own. AU/ non-canon. Alexis' surname is Mondheiler. Vowels look the same at four am, I swear. Anyway. Severus and Alexis have an argument that leads to a shocking revelation. And Alexis catches a student (three guesses who) out-of-bounds. Although not...graphic in nature, there is much about anorexia here. A description, though non-detailed and brief, on an anorexic's appearance as well as weight numbers. In kilos. So that is my only warning. It is not particularly triggering, I don't believe, but it could be to someone. And there is swearing. Lots of swearing. Because when adults are scared or frustrated or have no better answer, well they swear. That is all. X's are scene breaks, serious time breaks are noted in bold. Italics are often thoughts, but occasionally emphases on a word. As always, reviews make me happy. And finally, use your words._

_~Case  
_

-x-

Several things happened at once. Tim and Severus both cursed darkly, standing as one. Remus caught the younger woman as she slumped forward and Filius took her wrist, quickly finding her pulse. It took a moment for Severus to shoo away the three women, dark eyes watching Tim crouch in front of Alexis' chair. "Well?" He snarled, concern evident in his tone. This was the second time the young woman had passed out in his company. He was feeling quite...useless.

"Remus, calm your partner." Tim ordered, one hand on Alexis' wrist and the other on her chest. The younger man obeyed, making sure that Alexis was secure before moving to wrap Severus in a hug. Filius was quiet, his eyes narrowed in thought. She had truly blacked out but there was no clear cause. Her body was weak from exhaustion and lack of food, but her heart and lungs were strong. Tim sighed, sending a bit of magic through her veins. "What do you make of this, Filius?" He asked finally, his voice soft.

"Hogwarts' magic is too strong for her body to handle while conscientious. Albus fainted the first time he fully took on the wards, with sleep and time his body adjusted to the amount of magic. But he never made oaths to the castle. It seems that Alexis is channeling more magic than Albus ever did." Filius commented quietly, brown eyes surveying the younger woman. "Albus used to take in large quantities of sugar, partly because of addiction. But he also once mentioned that it kept his mind alert. I think the sugar helped him when the castle's magic became overwhelming." He added slowly, turning the thoughts over in his mind. Hogwarts was channeling magic through the Headmistress, who would die for her students. But the school would never harm her, intentionally.

"Alexis does not eat willingly. Forcing her to intake any amount of sugar would be...disastrous. I do have a potion that might mitigate some of the pressure of the wards, but I cannot be sure." Severus remarked quietly, dark eyes locked on the younger woman.

Tim gave a quick nod, focusing completely on the headmistress. Conscientiousness was slowly starting to return to her, he was not sure, however, if her body would return to a true sleep or if she would rejoin them much sooner. It took a few minutes but her eyes finally fluttered open.

"Whaa?" She mumbled, trying to push herself up. She was in a reclining chair, oddly enough. Her armchair didn't recline but she didn't remember moving. She frowned when the chair changed back to its original state, gray eyes darting from face to face. Tim was crouched in front of her, two fingers on her wrist. "What happened?" She grimaced, fighting down the pain that shot through her body. It took a moment but it faded. Her eyes took in the shimmer of magic that cloaked the room, brighter and more visible than it normally was. She blinked quickly, letting her eyes adjust to the new levels of visible magic. Visible to her, at least.

"You blacked out. Do you know where you are, Alexis?" Tim asked calmly, finally moving into the nearest chair. His muscles were stiff but it was nothing that he wasn't used to.

"My quarters at Hogwarts. We were having a meeting about the children who had just arrived and I...Oh. The wards." She replied, realization dawning suddenly.

"What about the wards?" Tim glanced at Filius, meeting the older man's eyes. So he was right then.

"They strengthened and I accepted them. Her magic grows and changes, depending on need." Alexis shrugged, reaching for her cup of tea. Merlin was she tired!

Severus snorted. It was just like the younger woman to blow it off like it was nothing. Well, that wouldn't do! "You have passed out twice in the last two weeks, Alexis. That we _know of. _Channeling enormous amounts of magic might cause such black outs, but it is not just the magic and you know it." He barked, raising an eyebrow at the younger woman who was now glaring at him. He invented that glare, she couldn't frighten him. Except she had and he hated to admit it. He had become quite attached in the last few years. She was his sister and this was not healthy, even if it was quite...hypocritical.

Grey eyes flashed, darting quickly around the room. This was not the time or place to have this argument, granted all those present already knew. But no one understood or knew how bad it really was except for Severus and she would not allow him to spill her secrets in front of Tim. She'd never hear the end of it! "It is not important now, Severus. I'm fine." She growled finally, locking eyes with him. Remus was gazing between the two of them, as if he just knew that they were going to fight. And Filius had returned to a pile of paperwork that he had offered to do, she did have too much of it to finish alone. But Severus just met her gaze calmed, sneering at her. Hmpf.

"It is not _fine_." He snapped. "It will kill you, Alexis. "

She growled at him angrily. "It will _not. _Drop it. Now." Came the bitter snarl.

"No. You may be the Headmistress, but I am older _and_ your deputy. It's _killing _ you." He snapped. Severus was quite aware the three sets of eyes were moving between the two of them, following this argument. This fight. They did not fight normally, especially not publicly. But this was not really public. This was family. Filius who had suffered through constant bickering dinners, although it was the man's own fault for inviting them both to dine in his quarters. Remus who had grown to accept and then love Alexis as family. And Tim. The man who had helped both of them find themselves in the darkest of times. He too was family. He also knew that they were not quite following the argument, although Alexis knew exactly what he meant. He did not mean the magic of the castle, not at all. No, the castle was probably _helping_ Alexis, instead of harming her. For as much as Hogwarts needed Alexis, Alexis needed Hogwarts. And she needed them. Even if she hated him for it, which she might, she needed her family. And they were her family.

"Get it through your thick skull. I. Am. FINE!" Alexis scowled darkly, steel eyes dark with anger. She had a right to be angry, of course. It was her personal life. Even if she thought of all four of these men as her family, even if they might not feel the same, this was her life. Her secret. It was none of their damn business.

"Oh? Then remove your glamours." Severus retorted silkily. She wasn't going to get out of this. She could not out Slytherin him.

_Fuck._ "I'm fine!" She snapped, crossing her arms and standing quickly. She wavered briefly as the room span. A warm hand steadied her. She turned cold eyes on Tim, glaring at the healer but he did not let go. Which might have been a good thing. She was quite...dizzy. Damn.

Tim frowned. Something else was going on here, besides the obvious. He knew that Severus was not talking about the magic, but he was a bit...confused. He should have known if the young woman was wearing glamours. His healing spells could detect it. Granted, he had not cast anything other than a standard diagnostic spell one the younger woman just yet. He still needed to do a full work up on her, but the students this afternoon had taken a bit out of all of them. He had been planning to wait until tomorrow. Perhaps it was better to do it today, he had worked with much more exhaustion, after all. "Glamours?" He asked calmly. Both had returned to glaring at each other but Severus gave him a slight nod. Just what was Alexis hiding?

"If you are fine, you will remove them." Severus retorted quietly. He was not even quite aware of what the younger woman looked like underneath them anymore. He had seen them flicker once or twice in the last few weeks, but that was all.

Alexis growled, desperately needing to pace. But she was not stupid enough to try. If standing made her dizzy, what would pacing do? She didn't need to faint again. She had yet to faint in front of them, but she had been fainting on a semi-regular bases. She blamed it on lack of sleep, but perhaps that was just her excuse. What was there to lose, really? Besides her freedom to do what she wanted with her body. But Merlin, she was exhausted and this argument was wearing. "Fine!" She snarled finally. "If that's what you want. There is nothing wrong with me!" She added with a hiss. But she knew that once the glamours were gone, she could no longer deny it. She had not even seen herself recently. She knew that before the last three weeks, she had looked rather...bad. But now? Even with a little help from Hogwarts, the magic of the wards, she probably still looked...horrible. She hid it from more than just them though. She hid it from herself. She didn't want to admit that she wasn't doing well and she didn't want to see the face that looked back at her. Even with the glamours she was near gaunt and pale. Without them...who knew.

"If either of us really believe that, we would not be having this conversation." Severus replied quietly, dark eyes fixed on the younger woman. Something was...wrong. Her eyes had taken on a haunted, almost scared look. Something he had only seen a few times before. And then the thought struck, one that he hoped desperately was untrue. _What if she has been hiding from herself? How could it get that bad without any of us noticing._

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, searching inside her magical core for the origins of the spells that held the deeply in-woven glamours up, even in sleep. She slowly removed them, one by one. And instantly felt her body stabilize. The constant glamours had been draining her energy and magic. What she had been doing to protect herself had actually been doing much harm. She kept her eyes closed even as the last charm fell. The quiet gasps were enough, she didn't need to see their looks of disgust.

"Fuck, Alexis." Severus murmured softly, his eyes quickly scanning over the young woman's body before returning to her face. She wasn't just thin, she wasn't just tired. She was sick. Truly sick. But even as he spoke, a bit of colour returned to her face and she gave the tiniest of smiles, with a soft murmur that he didn't quite catch. But he understood. Hogwarts could not feed her or force her to sleep, but She could very well help heal the young woman by giving her bits of magic stored over thousands of years. Bits of healing magic that would return just a bit of her energy, her life force. But it would be enough to keep her alive and steady on her feet.

"How long, Alexis?" Tim asked quietly. This had not happened over night. The girl was anorexic, yes, but one did not become like this over night. He gently pushed her back into her chair, his wand already in his hand as he started to muttered soft string of Latin. The deeper, more personal spells he would do later, when there was a bit more privacy for the young woman. But it was necessary for him to know now whether or not her organs had started to shut down. Poppy's file had said that the younger woman was not anemic, but that was far from true. She was severely underweight. Without her robes, he was sure they would have been able to count every single on of her ribs. Her bones were knobby and her skin hung tight to them. Dark shadows were around her eyes and her cheeks jaunted out. A simple weight and height spell, although he did prefer traditional scales as they tended to be just as accurate but more visible, told him numbers that he hoped he would not see from this young woman ever again. And yet here they were. She was back to the weight she had been when she had started her apprenticeship with him, but perhaps this time would be easier. She was surrounded by family, which meant help and support.

"A year, perhaps. I do not know, Tim. This last year was a bit of a disaster for everyone, with the last of the 'war' and everything else. How bad?" She murmured, finally opening dull grey eyes. She knew it was not good, of course, but she didn't know how bad. She was surprised though. Instead of disappointment, all she saw on the faces of these men was worry. She had hidden it well, she knew, and she had interfered, as much as she could, with all diagnostic spells cast on her. But now...she had a school to run. And she couldn't do that if she could not make it through the day without fainting. Her students needed her. That resolved her will, right then, to do as much as she could to change this, so that her students did not see a sickly woman without any real authority. They didn't need that. They needed someone they could trust, someone who could take care of and teach them, and damn it she would be that someone.

"More than Nora and Harry, but not by much." Tim replied dryly, frowning at the latest results. Her magic, and that of the castle, must have been protecting her organs and bones. Although her weight was low, she was malnourished and anemic, he organs were not yet failing. If she had kept up the facade, however, she would have been dead by the end of the year, the end of the next at the latest. She weight more than two twelve year olds, children who had been starved all their lives because of their magic, but that wasn't saying much. Both children were underweight. He could see Severus' nutrition potions seeing much use this summer. "Number wise? Forty kilos. To be healthy you need to gain at least 20 kilos. If you lose much more weight, your organs will shut down." He added quietly.

"They haven't already?" Severus asked finally, frowning slightly. That was...odd. She was 40 kilos and 170 cm which was quite...small. Her body shouldn't be functioning at all. Oh, how he loved magic.

Alexis closed her eyes briefly and sighed. She had been that small before, when she first met Tim. But that had been the product of several years of starvation. When she had started at Hogwarts, she had been underweight but she had managed to get to within a kilo or two of where she was supposed to be. And now...well now she was far from a kilo. Damn it.

"You need food and sleep. Sleep will probably come first." Tim remarked quietly, glancing around the room. They all needed some time to come to terms with this and the men could clearly do some of the paperwork so that she could sleep. A few hours of sleep and then a light meal followed by more sleep...they could do that for a day or two. They would have to. She would collapse of exhaustion in another day, starvation in probably less. "No arguments."

Alexis merely nodded, pointing at a stack of papers. It rose shakily and flew to Remus, as another stack started to fly at Filius. She was tired and her magic was not as strong as it should be, as it normally was. She wasn't going to fight with Tim, she didn't have the energy. She opened her eyes again, turning soft grey eyes to meet dark orbs. "I'm sorry." She whispered softly, though it carried throughout the room. And she was. She hadn't meant to harm anyone or upset anyone. She had just been...not hungry. But that was something to discuss with Tim later. Although it was clearly anorexia, there could also be other factors there. Important ones.

Severus scoffed softly. "As am I. You are part of our family, Alexis. We will take care of you, even if you wish we didn't. We aren't going anywhere." His comment was gentle, stern. He meant every word. Every person in this room cared about her, in different ways. Filius had become a bit of an adoptive father to all three of them, Tim an older, eccentric uncle. They would help her, as long as she let them in.

She smiled softly and closed her eyes. The next moment she was being lifted gently out of her chair and carried easily into her bed chambers. She snuggled against Tim for a moment, letting the darkness take over, surrendering to true, peaceful sleep.

-x-

**Four days later.**

Alexis surveyed the Great Hall for a moment, eyes going up and down the long table that they were all sitting at. With the Professors, healers, and the few summer camp counselors who had arrived, the rest would be here in a week, the student to adult ratio was nearly one to one. In the last few days they have had a few more students brought back to the school. Of the fifteen worse causes, ten had been brought back in total. The other five were staying with friends or visiting relatives, in little to no danger at the moment but instructed to contact the school immediately if something happened as well as each given a portkey. Seven others had shown a need, so a total of eighteen students, if they counted Harry with eighteen adults, counting Hagrid. Since the man was in charge of supervising some outside play and all access to the lake, but warned explicitly to not introduce the children to any creatures, no matter how _innocent _or _cute_ they might be, she did have to count him. There would be more counselors, of both the mind-healing and summer camp type, arriving in a few days. As they were still doing home visits, where some of her staff were currently, actually, there was always a chance for more children to arrive. She had already spoken to each child under her care, when Tim had finally given the okay. She had not liked staying in her bed with no work for three days. But she had slept the majority of it and he had started her eating again. After, of course, discovering a curse that she had been unaware of. Left over from when Albus had saved her. Now that she was hungry and felt like sleeping, well... like doing everything again, it was just a battle with slightly disordered thoughts. She could manage. She would. She had a school to run after all.

-x-

The camp would officially start in a few days but they had already given rules to all of the children that morning. Simple rules, like no wandering alone and always telling an adult where they were going. The three counselors currently in residence were suppose to be keeping an eye on the children at all times. The two sixteen year olds, for there were two of them, both with younger siblings, had been drafted to help. The counselors rooms were attached to the students, connected by a door to a room of bunks, a true camp experience, and four-poster beds, for the older students, so that they could help with nightmares or sooth fears. With the help of some of the Professors who had offered, surprisingly enough, to be counselors, there should not have been any child out after curfew. Pomona and Charity were not scary, until they were protecting children, of course, but most children would not cross the two kindly ladies. The two counselors for the younger boys were late twenties, 'cool' and good role models. Apprentices or in the first few years of social work and counseling. A good experience for all the camp counselors, something they needed for their resumes, and a job that all of them had been excited for. Working with child was something all of them, she had made sure, wanted to do. She knew for a fact that they had done bed-checks for all the boys an hour before and everyone had been there. So which child had the guts to sneak out? And to the Astronomy Tower of all places! Alexis moved silently up the last few steps, pausing briefly in the dark shadows. She wanted to see who the child was before she entered the tower.

Harry sat on one of the walls, a bit difficult to clamber up on but he had managed. Severus and Remus said that he could entire sleep in their quarters or join those for the camp. He had never been to camp before and although they had told him that he could attend where ever he slept, he had wanted to try it. Surprisingly enough, he missed home. _Home_. A word he never thought he would associate with anything other than Hogwarts. But he did. Home was the place where Severus and Remus bickered over whether chocolate was a breakfast food (it was) or whether football was better than Quidditch (it so wasn't). Home was the place where he felt safe, the place where his nightmares came but weren't so scary. A place were no one would harm him. He liked Charlie and Phil, the two current counselors for the boys, and he knew that he shouldn't be scared of either of them. But men had been nice before. People had been nice before and then they had hurt him. Or sent him back to Uncle. And he knew that Severus and Remus would never let him be sent back, but what if these men did not know that? What if they thought he was a freak, which he was, like uncle had? What if they realized the truth? It was a lot of what ifs and one of the older boys, Jim, had said that while what ifs were all nice and dandy, they weren't solid. They weren't _ands, _they were _ifs. _Which had been confusing but Lexie had explained it to them, sort of. He understood it now, that it meant that _ifs_ were actually, but they could be. They just weren't yet. Lexie had added a lot of confusing things to that too, but that was what he had taken from it. And they wanted them to talk. Charlie and Paul did, as did the healers. But Tim had said that he would stay his healers and that he could still speak with the counselors if he wanted to. He wasn't sure that he wanted to. He didn't like the sharing circle they did earlier. It was so...embarrassing. But at least he wasn't the youngest! Lila was, she was only eleven. Harry sighed, kicking his feet back against the castle. It was so calm out here, it made nightmares carry less power.

Alexis frowned slightly, taking in the mop of inky Hair. If she was correct, she was certain that the child was Harry. And he was...the child had lost his mind. There were wards around the tower, of course, but some were old and if they faltered, not that they would, he would fall off! Damn child shouldn't be sitting on the _wall._ The wall was to keep them on the castle. And if he moved his bottom forward a few inches, he would be outside the ward that ran through the wall. Damn it. Her wand was instantly in her hand and she softly chanted in Latin, expanding the castle's ward, in case any other child was foolish enough to climb on the walls, and forming a protective ward around the child and a sticking charm so that when she spoke, he wouldn't fall off if he was startled. There were wards, of course, that kept people from falling and jumping from the tower, but that didn't mean they didn't fall. They could, they just would be transported into a warded room in the hospital wing. But if they were outside the wards...they would die. He shouldn't even be able to get up there! His head was hardly higher than the wall. "It is a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Potter, but you are out-of-bounds." Alexis purred, striding out into the open. The child jumped, or tried to. But the sticking spell on his trousers kept him firmly attached to the wall.

"Professor!" Harry grimaced, looking down and then automatically looking away. Down was far away and it was a bit dizzying.

"Mr. Potter, there is a sticking spell currently on you, as you were sitting outside the wards on the castle. It should not have allowed you up there to begin with. However, I would like to bring you off the wall. May I?" Alexis asked dryly, frowning slightly at the thought. The wards shouldn't have let the boy pass them and he shouldn't have been able to cancel them out. She found her mental link to the castle and checked the wards of the tower. They had been lowered...by McGonagall. As Deputy, she had that power. Damn woman. She sent her magic out once more, rechecking all of the wards. She had checked the castle wards the other day and they had all seemed fine, but she had done it en-mass. She quickly checked each individual ward on every part of the castle, the gate and doors included, raising the wards on all of the towers back up and fixing a few weakened wards. She had gotten much faster at raising and checking the wards, but it still took her a few minutes. Minutes where the child merely stared at her. "Mr. Potter?"

"You may, professor." Harry replied softly, staring at the stone floor of the tower. Here was yet another example of the weirdness. The professors were so confused, uncle would say. They didn't treat him like they should. Even though the professor wasn't happy with him, she didn't seem really angry and he knew that she wouldn't hurt him. Plus she was _asking_ before she touched him and people who wanted to hurt him wouldn't ask.

Alexis gave a brisk nod, striding forward and plucking the child of the wall while removing the sticking spell. She was wearing a glamour, of course, but not as intensive as before and she had not cast it. Tim had agreed to help her out, so that the children wouldn't see how weak their professor was. The underweight child, while normally would not have been difficult to lift, was. Once she had him away from the wall, she automatically set him down, but gripped his shoulder briefly. "If I ever catch you on that wall again Mr. Potter, or on any tower wall or ledge, you will not be a happy boy. Do I make myself clear?" She asked sternly, looking into deep green eyes.

Harry dropped his eyes with a rapid nod. "Yes ma'am." He murmured softly.

"Good boy."

His eyes snapped up, shock. He was breaking the rules and she still thought he was good? Adults were crazy here.

She gave the child a small smile, crouching so that she was on his level. "Let me be clear, Harry. I do not want you to be on this tower alone. I am happy with your agreement to stay off the walls. Do you understand why I do not want you climbing of these walls and ledges? And why you are not suppose to be on this tower, or most of the others, alone?" She asked gently, placing her fingers under his chin so that he had to meet her eyes. Her hand still rested on his shoulder. She wasn't really angry at the child. Unhappy that he would do something so dangerous, but not angry. It was, however, to be expected. She knew that all of the children this summer would be pushing them and testing boundaries, because many of them had never had any reasonable boundaries or adults who actually cared for them.

Harry hesitated, thinking it over. He wasn't really sure why she was upset that he had been on the walls. It was dangerous, perhaps, without the wards. But why would anyone care if he did something dangerous. Severus and Remus did, of course, or they said they did anyway. But why should she? There were more important people here than him. "It was dangerous?" He said finally.

"Yes, Harry. It was dangerous for you to be on the wall. You could have fallen and you would have been severely harmed or killed. This tower is dangerous because it is far away from the closest person for help. You could easily get hurt and no one would know. You aren't allowed up here alone for _your_ safety. I know you might not believe this Harry, but many people, including me, care greatly about you. Many people would be devastated if something happened to you, and all because you were doing something so careless. Rules are there for a reason. If you do not understand them, ask." Alexis replied firmly, easily hiding her rage at the shock in the child's eyes. That muggle would pay for his treatment of this child, as would all the guardians of those children in her care. No child should doubt his worth.

When she said it like that, it made him feel bad. He didn't mean to worry anyone. He just wanted air, to be outside. It helped him calm down. "I won't do it again, Professor." He whispered softly, wishing that he didn't have to meet her eyes. Those grey eyes were very haunting sometimes.

He probably would, but hopefully not at night. "Was there a reason you came here, Harry?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. There better be, or he'd have a different punishment.

"Yes, professor. It...I wanted to go outside. It's...calming." Harry replied softly, looking away.

Ah. Nightmares then. "The next time, Harry, wake one of your counselors or guardians. Let an adult know and perhaps they will go outside with you so that you are not breaking the rules." Alexis remarked, still sternly but softer. "Now then, it is time for me to walk you back to the camp quarters. Unless you rather sleep in your quarters?" She questioned, motioning the child toward the stairwell.

"No, Professor. I don't want to wake them. Camp's okay." Harry gulped, staring down at his feet. He didn't want her to wake Severus or Remus, he knew they'd be angry at him. She had released his shoulder with a final squeeze and he hesitantly started toward the stairs.

Alexis stood from her crouch, moving quickly so that she was beside the child instead of behind him. She had caught that brief flash of hesitation. It was a silent trip down the stairs and back to the third floor. She stopped outside the door to the common room for the camp. "Now, Mr. Potter. As for your punishment, and no, I didn't forget, I want an essay on why you should follow the rules, as well as any rules you do not understand. Do you think you can do that?" She asked briskly, looking down at the small child.

"Yes, professor. When?" Harry asked, staring down at the ground.

"In two days time, you may either give it to Severus or bring it to me." Alexis smirked, knowing very well that he would not give it to Severus. Probably. "Now, let's get you back into bed before your counselors become concerned." She added softly, opening the door and motioning the child through. Right on time too, as a frantic looking, slightly younger man span around to look at them.

"Harry! Thank goodness. I woke up and you were gone. You shouldn't leave like that!" Charlie scolded, crouching down a few feet away from the child, so that he was on his level. Charlie was on the tall side, athletic and kind. Blond hair was frazzled and everywhere, blue eyes relieved, finally, to have found the child. He had woken up and decided to check on the boys and Harry had been gone. There was a monitoring charm on _every_ bed. He would have to use a different charm on the child's if he was prone to removing those charms. Harry shouldn't have even known that it was there! But that was another thing to discuss with the Headmistress, who looked dead on her feet underneath the glamour, in the morning.

"I'm sorry, Charlie. I didn't mean to worry you. I just wanted to go for a walk." Harry whispered staring down at his feet.

"It's alright Harry. Off to bed with you, and let's not leave these rooms again without letting me know, alright?"

"Yes, sir." Harry murmured, briefly looking up at him before turning green eyes to the Headmistress. She looked tired like he was. "Goodnight Professor." He added, darting down the hallway that led to the rooms for the boys.

"Where did you find him?" Charlie asked tiredly, briefly scrutinizing the headmistress. The glamour she wore would keep the children from noticing, but some adult wizards could see through lower level glamours, or those cast by another person. Most healers could see through the lower glamours, as noted this morning when all of them turned to stare at her with mouths agape. He hadn't, and wouldn't, ask about her...state but he also didn't feel good about her walking all the way back to her own quarters.

"Astronomy Tower. I believe he had a nightmare." Alexis gave a small shrug, glancing toward the fireplace. Flooing sounded like a grand idea right now, if she wouldn't fall on her face the moment she landed.

"Thank you, Professor. I was worried." He admitted quietly, striding toward the fireplace and gathering some floo powder. "I believe it would be prudent for me to escort you back to your quarters via floo." He added silkily. He wasn't a Slytherin for nothing, after all. He could easily convince her, if he wasn't tired.

Alexis laughed softly, shaking her head with a smirk. "That it would be." She murmured, taking the offered arm and allowing him to help her through the floo. Once in her quarters he grinned, waved goodnight and disappeared back to watch over his boys. She sighed, stalking to her own bed and dropping on to it. It was quite time for all of Hogwarts' residents to be asleep.

-x-


	7. Fears

A/N-_ Do not own. Also, my spellchecker stopped working, so hopefully I caught everything with firefox, but there might be a few minor mistakes. This is a bit everywhere, but it makes sense. I think. I'm sleep deprived, you should just be glad I managed to form complete sentences. Anyway. Alexis stresses, Harry makes a new friend, and a serious conversation is held between one of the new counselors and the Headmistress. Also, a stinging spell is involved. Enjoy. X's are time and scene breaks. Major time breaks would be noted. Italics are usually thoughts. Let me know what you think. And as always, use your words. _

-x-

Tim bit back a sigh, gazing at the younger woman who was playing with her food. He knew her mind was somewhere else, but she would never become healthy if she did not actually eat the food. "Alexis." He called finally, causing gray eyes to look up at him.

Alexis groaned, twirling her fork briefly. She did not want to eat, she could not eat. There was work to be done, lists of things left to be handled before the beginning of the semester. Granted, it was the first week of July. But the summer camp would officially start tomorrow, with nearly all the children already in the castle. Forty- nine boys and girls between the ages of ten and seventeen. The ten-year old would be eleven by September first and the seventeen year old was going to help with the summer programmes. An extra set of hands and eyes would not go amiss. But that didn't mean that she was not anxious. Over half of the children were muggleborn or raised, with a smattering of half and pure bloods. Blood did not matter here, but these children did. Each of them needed love and care, each of them needed guidance. There were a few muggleborns to check up on still, and one or two more homes to visit, but camp was starting. Tomorrow. _Fuck._

Tim frowned down at the younger woman, glad that she had decided to eat in her quarters. It would not do for the children to see their Headmistress so...out of it. She had yet to take a single bit of food since they had begun this meal, his own plate was already finished. She hadn't even touched her tea. With a quick decision, he removed the fork from her fingers, filling it with food before lifting it to the young woman's lips. "Open." He ordered quietly. She obeyed with the same distant look in her eyes, allowing him to place the forkful into her mouth, automatically chewing and swallowing. He repeated the act four more times, until she finally blinked, startled gray eyes meeting brown.

"Sorry Tim. I was...thinking." She muttered, flushing slightly. She took the fork from him, hesitating before slowly returning to eating. It was not, admittedly, the first time he had acted as such. When she had first became his apprentice and refused to eat, he had taken similar actions. It was better, however, than his special stinging spell, the one that he taught her to use for runaways and foolish apprentices.

"That is alright, Alexis. Finish your breakfast, you can work afterwards." He replied quietly, squeezing her shoulder before taking up his own paperwork. It was summer, after all, there was always paperwork.

-x-

"Harry! Teddy! Come play with us" Harry grimaced, looking away from the group of eleven and twelve-year olds. Charlie had told them this morning that the camp would start tomorrow, with lots of activities. He was looking forward to the flying, of course, but that did not mean he wanted to play with the others. Not now, anyway. Didn't they get it? They had no homes now. Charlie had explained that they were all here for a reason and he knew that the older boys had scars like his. Perhaps they all did. They were all unwanted, how could they possibly want to play. He shook his head at the girl beckoning to him, glancing over to the nearby tree where Teddy sat. Theodore Nott, a Slytherin rising Third year. To say he was surprised that the other boy was here would be an understatement. Phil had warned them to not tease or taunt anyone else but to listen, if they could, if someone wanted to talk. But Phil had also said that was what the counselors were all there for, anyway. Him and Rani were outside with them, keeping an eye on the groups of kids who were wandering about and playing games. But he, Harry, did not want to play tag. He hated tag. Because then he had to run and his mind would freeze in fear and someone would get hurt and he'd be in trouble and-

"Hey Potter." Teddy muttered, dropping to sit beside Harry under the large Oak. Phil and Charlie wanted him to be more...social with the other boys. Since they were in charge of his 'cabin', he knew he had to mind them. Besides that, Harry had also been told to try being social. So they could be social together. In silence.

Harry glanced at the brown-haired, sort of mousey boy. Light brown eyes caught his for a moment before returning to cloud watching. "Teddy." He murmured back, wishing that they were near the lake. He wanted to watch the Squid, but he'd settle for watching the game unfold. He glanced at the slightly older boy again. It was a testament to what the Headmistress had said the night before, that house affiliation and blood status did not matter here. Teddy's silence was like his, he never spoke in group meetings either, unless asked directly. It was odd though, the group meetings. They were both always with a group of the older teens, while most of the other kids in their cabin were with their age group. Out of the eleven in their cabin, they were the only two in the group of older boys from the other two cabins. Charlie and Jake, one of the counselors for the older boys, led that group but it was a bit difficult for him to follow at times. He didn't always know what they were talking about but he knew he was much better at expressing what he was feeling than some of the younger boys, perhaps just not as well as the older ones.

Teddy watched the clouds form and grow for several minutes before glancing at Harry. The other boy was gazing blankly at the group of mindless children chasing each other. How he loathed tag. It meant someone had to _touch_ him and usually they shoved and it would hurt and then he'd get angry and hit back. Then he'd be in trouble and his father would find out and then-

"Teddy, Harry. Don't you want to play with the other kids?" Phil asked quietly, stopping to crouch down next to the two boys. His hair was black with blue tips this week, bringing out the blue in his eyes. It matched his personality perfectly, he was just glad that Tim was able to see past the hair, not many in their profession chose to. Both boys seemed lost in their own worlds, both held a sense of panic in their eyes when he had first spoke. Harry merely looked at him as Teddy stiffened, a mask covering both of their faces. Most of the youngest children were not heavily abused. They had older siblings or cousins to protect them, or they were forgotten about and neglected. But these two boys and one of the girls from the younger cabins, were as heavily abused as some of the older teenagers. Out of the nearly fifty children, a group of about fifteen held the heaviest abuse cases. Twelve teenaged girls and boys, as well as three children. Two of them were sitting in front of him, blank eyes and coiled bodies, waiting for a strike that would never come. He bit back a sigh and stayed a few feet away. Charlie was better with these two than he was, but then Charlie had a past himself.

Harry glanced at Teddy and met his eyes briefly, before shaking his head. "No sir. I don't like tag." He murmured.

"Me either." Teddy added quietly, nodding quickly. He knew, rationally, that Phil would not harm them, but he was still waiting for the other shoe to drop, waiting for the bad stuff to start. Granted, Severus was his head of house and had never harmed him, not in two years. The man had even kept his promise to help him and that meant a lot. He didn't just remove him from his home either, but he set him up with the healer, Tim, so that he could have someone to talk to and to help him through his self harm. His self harm was different from Harry's, he knew. He also knew that other boy reacted on instinct much like he did. But instead of a blade, Harry hit his head and clawed his skin. He also knew that both of their counselors were keeping an eye on them, they were rarely left by themselves for long.

"Well...what kind of games do you like to play?" Phil asked calmly, gazing between the two boys. Harry was the more impulsive of the two, he knew. Twice now the boy had left in the middle of the night, although the second time he did not make it past the common room before they were aware of it. As he had spent the night before with his guardians and tonight as well, they wanted him with them on weekends as much as possible, it had not been a problem. But he hoped that the boy would not sneak out tomorrow. Teddy, on the other hand, was even quieter than Harry and extremely withdrawn.

"Gobstones and Exploding Snap are fun." Harry glanced at the other boy, shrugging slightly. He didn't know very many wizarding or muggle games, really. He was just starting to get use to the toys and games Severus and Remus had bought him.

"Dragons." Teddy scowled when the older man looked at him. At Harry's look of confusion he grinned. The younger boy did not know much about wizarding culture, he knew, just as he did not know much about non-magical culture. Perhaps he could teach the other boy? That would make Phil and Charlie happy, at least. "We can play dragons, Harry."

Harry bit his lip, his face bland. He did not know how to play dragons, although he did have a few dragon figures in his room. "With what?"

"My dragons are..."Teddy quickly looked away, falling silent. He had forgotten. His father had destroyed his toys, all of them. He hadn't told anyone though, because he was getting too old for toys. Wasn't he?

"Where are your dragons, Teddy?" Phil prompted gently. His face might be a mask but the child's eyes were not.

"Nowhere." Teddy snapped, standing and taking off toward the castle.

"Teddy!" Harry scowled at Phil briefly, before following the boy at a trot. They were getting along perfectly fine until Phil started being nosy!

Phil groaned, slapping his head hard before quickly glancing around. Thankfully none of the children noticed. He didn't need them believing that it was acceptable to hit oneself. He caught Rani's eyes and jerked his head toward the castle. She gave a brisk nod and he took off after the boys, hoping that they hadn't crawled into a space where his lanky form would not fit. But long legs did mean he would catch up with the two small boys quickly.

-x-

Alexis grimaced as a small body collided with her. The child fell backwards as she steadied herself on the wall briefly. She glanced down at the little body, who sat trembling, staring at the ground, and then down the empty hallway. Another little body came dashing around the corner. "Mr. Potter! Stop running please!" She called quickly, recognizing the mop of inky hair instantly. The boy thankfully slowed down before he could crash into the other child.

"Teddy!" He shouted, grimacing as the headmistress raised an eyebrow at him, before lowering his voice. "Teddy?"

Alexis sighed, turning her eyes back to the child on the ground. She reached a hand down to him, raising a slight eyebrow as he flinched backwards. The boy finally took it, allowing her to pull him back to his feet. She crouch down in front of him, so that she was on the same level as the two twelve-year olds. Both would be turning thirteen soon and both should not be alone in the hallway, nor running. She motioned to Harry and the young boy came to stand beside his friend. "Who wants to tell me what's going on?" She asked quietly, gray eyes moving between the two boys. They did not act like children who had been fighting, but there was fear there, behind Teddy's eyes.

Teddy bit his lip, staring at the floor. He knew he'd be in trouble when she found out that he took off, but he hadn't expected her to be walking down the hallway, hadn't seen the headmistress. Nor had he expected Harry to come after him. It almost made him feel...grateful, that the other boy would care enough to check on him.

Harry frowned, glancing at Teddy. The other boy clearly wasn't going to say anything but he didn't want to get his friend in trouble. "We didn't want to play tag." He murmured finally.

Alexis' eyebrows shot up. That was one of the worst excuses she had ever heard, and she had heard quite a few as a teacher and a healer. "Be that as it may, why are you not with your group?" She asked sternly. Harry, too, turned his eyes to the ground, but not before flicking them to Teddy. "You are not in trouble, boys. I would just like to know what the cause of this was, so that we can either prevent it from happening again or make it better." She added quietly, sighing.

"You can't make it better." Teddy muttered under his breath.

Alexis turned sharp eyes to the brown-haired boy, shaking her head slightly. Teddy was much more withdrawn than Harry was, although Harry, too, had a hard shell to get through. "Why is that Teddy? What can't I make better?" She asked softly, causing his eyes to snap up. Light brown eyes met hers briefly before darting away. "Look at me, Mr. Nott." She added sternly. His eyes came up again but did not quite meet hers. Better, anyways.

"I wanted to teach Harry how to play Dragons but my dragons..." Teddy trailed off, dropping his eyes back to his feet as they started to sting. He was no sissy, he would not cry over dumb toys, even if they had been his favourite.

Ah. That was much clearer, then. "I believe Mr. Potter has a few dragons that he can loan you, Mr. Nott. Until we can get you some of your own to have. After all, if I am correct, you do have a birthday coming up." Alexis replied, smirking when the child looked up with bright eyes. She wasn't quite sure which, but she had a feeling that the child's toys had been destroyed or taken away from him. Even if he was nearly thirteen, he still deserved toys and games. After all, bored boys caused trouble and she couldn't be having that. "Is that alright with you, Mr. Potter?" She asked the younger boy, who nodded rapidly. With a small smile she pulled out her wand, quickly losing that smile when Teddy flinched backwards. _Damn it. _"Accio Harry's dragons." She called sharply, replacing her wand in its sheath. "I will not harm you, Teddy. I promised you that, remember? You are safe here at Hogwarts. You both are." Her quiet comment caused the boy to look up briefly before flushing and looking away. She merely shook her head, turning to catch the box of dragons that came zooming at them. She handed them over to Harry, raising an eyebrow at the tall, lanky ma-child who came careening around the corner. "Do stop running, Phil." She scolded, causing both boys to giggle.

Phil grimaced as he forced his body to stop instantly, so that he would not crash into the two underweight boys and the skeletal headmistress. Really, that woman needed to _eat._ But, although he was not as subtle as Charlie, he would not ask questions about her condition. Tim had made it clear to everyone that she was in his care, more power to her. He wouldn't want to be in Tim's care. But he was digressing, and he knew it. "Sorry, Headmistress. I was just looking for these two." He replied finally, catching his breath.

"Ah yes. I was wondering why they were off on their own. Perhaps you would like to tell Phil, Teddy?" Alexis requested, turning her eyes back to the little boy. She was still crouched on their level and was pleased to see Phil crouch down as well. Although it seemed to make the boys nervous, to have someone both in front of and behind them.

Teddy grimaced, turning sideways so he could see them both. Phil had angled himself so that he would be in sight anyway, but he didn't really like having his back turned. He knew the headmistress would not harm him, but Phil had every right to be angry at them. But the man did not look angry, just...concerned. "I was...upset and angry. Because...I just was." He scowled finally.

"I understand that Teddy. But you cannot take off every time you get upset. Next time, let's talk about it first, alright? If something I say upsets you or a question I ask makes you angry, tell me. " Phil replied quietly. He was not angry with the children, not at all. He should had expected it and he did, from Harry at least. But Teddy was not the child he thought would just take off and it had taken him a bit of time to track them down. Little legs but they moved fast and they knew this castle better than he did. He finally remembered to cast a Point Me spell, luckily they hadn't gotten too far.

Teddy stared at the floor, giving a slight nod. "Yes sir. Sorry." He knew he shouldn't have run off, it was just instinct. He glanced over at Harry and bit back a grin. The other boy had removed a dragon from the box and was staring at it in fascination.

"You also shouldn't have taken off Harry, although I do understand why you did." Phil scolded, causing the boy to glance away from his box of dragons for a brief moment.

Harry dropped his eyes to the floor, grimacing. "Sorry sir." He murmured, before once more being drawn back to the dragons.

"Alright then, why don't we head back outside?" Phil suggested, smiling at the two boys as he straighten from his crouch. Two rapid nods came as his answer.

"A moment, please." Alexis remarked before either child could move. With a small movement of her wrist, she cast a wandless, silent diagnostic spell of Teddy. He had run into her and hit the floor, after all. A bit of bruising but he would be alright. A similar spell spread out to Harry, coming back fine, before it spread once more. She was about to stop the spell when she frowned, glancing up at Phil with sharp eyes. "Alright. Teddy, you have a few bruises from your fall, so no rough housing boys." She dismissed, causing the two boys to grin. She doubted either would rough house, they were just not the type. They took off at a run, past Phil before he could so much as move. "Halt!" She scolded. Both boys skid to a stop, glancing back at her. "Do not run and wait for Phil. The three of you will walk _together._" She ordered sternly.

"Yes ma'am." They chorused instantly, turning impatient eyes to Phil.

"Phil? Come see me during your free time." Alexis added quietly, for his ears alone. He gave a brisk nod, turning and walking to his two boys and she stood from her crouch. They disappeared around the corner and she leaned against the wall, closing her eyes. Well, that had been interesting.

-x-

Alexis glanced up from her writing at the knock that sounded on her office door. She worked in her office much less than in her quarters, but she knew that she also had to be available if she was she had requested for one of the counselors to come see her. She had a feeling it was him. "Enter." She called, setting the parchment aside. She could easily finish the letter later, after all one of the donators to the new summer programme could wait for a few minutes. That, and she knew the Malfoys would be fine with the update whenever she sent it.

Phil hesitated, shifting restlessly for a moment before pushing open the door. He had no idea why she wanted to see him, unless to scold him for letting the boys take off. But for some reason, he doubted that. She just did not seem like that type. "You wanted to see me, Headmistress?" He asked quietly, glancing at her.

"Alexis, Phil. And I did. Have a seat. "Alexis sighed, shaking her head good-naturally as he sat down in one of the chairs on the other side of her desk. For some reason it was nearly impossible to get the counselors to call her by her given name. They weren't that much younger than her! Some of them were even _older. _

"What can I do for you, Hea- Alexis?" Phil asked politely, catching himself in time. It felt strange to call his superior by her first name, but he had also heard her tell a few of the older _teenagers_ to call her Alexis, at least in private. Perhaps she just wasn't comfortable with her title just yet. That still, however, did not answer the question as to why she wanted to see him.

"I was wondering if you could explain something to me, Phil. You see, I cast a simple, questing, diagnostic spell earlier. I'm sure you know the one, it is often used in crowds of children to detect who was actually hurt and who is the worst hurt." She remarked dryly, keeping gray eyes on him. He barely hid a grimace, his face becoming a polite, blank mask.

"I do, Headmistress." Phil replied emotionlessly. _She couldn't have found out. I hide it too well. _

"You might imagine my surprise when it stopped persistently on you. Before I could end the spell, as I do not tend to invade my staff members privacy, I noticed something...unusual and, quite frankly, alarming." Her statement was met with silence and a blank mask. But his body language spoke volumes. Phil had curled his hands into fist, digging his nails into his palms, resting them on his lap. She knew it was a struggle for him to keep from crossing his arms. "Phillip, talk to me please." She instructed finally.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Headmistress." He replied blandly, suppressing a glare at the use of his full first name.

"Do not lie to me." Alexis hissed, gray eyes steel.

Phil visibly flinched, letting his mask slip. Gone was the blank slate, replaced quickly by anger. "It is nothing to concern yourself with." He growled.

"That is where you are wrong. You are on my staff in my school. I care for my students and my staff. You need this job and we need you here. I need to know what is going on, Phil." Alexis replied quietly, watching him closely. If he tried to bolt, he would not be happy. He did seem ready to do so, after all.

"You need no such thing. I'm not the one starving to death!" Phil snapped, standing and moving rapidly to the door. It had been a low blow, he knew, and he also was aware that he might possibly lose his job over this, a job he loved and needed. But he had spoken in anger, without thinking it through first. He grabbed the door and then yelped. The stinging spell that had hit his bottom was one he hadn't felt in a few years. His mentor had used the same spell. Hell, most Mind Healers used the same stinging spell. The door was, unfortunately, locked as well. He spun around to glare at her and was surprised to not see anger in her eyes. She wasn't happy but she also wasn't..angry. Damn woman.

"Phillip Lee Jones. You do not take off when I am speaking to you." Alexis scolded, frowning at the slightly younger man. She knew the spell hurt, it was suppose to. The spell was designed to not cause permanent damage but to linger. It could make sitting down quite uncomfortable for stretches of time in larger doses. The dose she sent at him should not make him uncomfortable for longer than an hour. "Sit down, now. "She ordered briskly, leaving no room for arguments.

Phil grimaced, glancing at the chair with a sigh. His full name, however, was quite the indicator that she was not happy at all. It made him feel like a naughty school boy, like one of his children that he had to scold. He sat down slowly, flinching slightly, before looking up again. He did not, however, meet her eyes.

"Do not try to run from me again. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am." He replied quietly, dropping his eyes back to his feet.

"Phil, look at me." Alexis ordered, sighing softly. Blue eyes finally met hers, before looking away. She could see the shame there, but there was also...fear. Fear of what, she was not quite sure. Perhaps of what she would say or do. Perhaps even of what she wouldn't say or do. " I know the signs of self-injury, Phil. I am a mind healer, it is something I have seen often enough to recognize. The injuries that registered on my scan seem self-injurious in nature. Including the slight new bruise on your forehead. So talk to me."

Phil grimaced, looking down and wiggling in his chair. It was a bit painful to sit at the moment, he hated that spell. He was also...uncomfortable. He had made it through his social work and counseling training without any one finding out. Even his mentor had not known and he knew that Tim was unaware, even if it was the reason he was working here. "I...yes." He replied finally.

"You are a great mentor and role model for those young boys, Phil. I am quite glad that we had you here. I am, however, going to require you to speak with Tim. He is the healer for _all_ of staff, including the camp counselors." Alexis stated finally, causing startled blue eyes to meet hers.

"You...want to keep me?" He asked uncertainly, confused. Most people would not want a self harmer around their children.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I? There is one recovered self harmer on staff, at least. I do not chose my staff based on their personal issues, Phil. I just ask that they are able to handle their lives while still taking care of my children. Because Hogwarts' children are quite important to me and they deserve the best we can give them. The boys adore you, I see no reason to remove you because of how you deal with stress. I just ask two things. One, that you never harm yourself in front of the children, in any way, shape, or form. We do not need them copying that behaviour. And secondly, that you submit to random medical scans." She replied calmly. They were not outlandish requests, actually. All of the children who had been found to harm themselves also had medical scans, weekly for the active harmers. It was not to shame them or even prevent injury, but to check them for injuries and make sure that they were doing alright. To check for infection and illness because of those wounds. Because as much as she wanted to, she could not stop her students from harming themselves if they were so determined. Of course, the self harmers were watched closely by their heads of house and their counselors. They would also all be talking to a healer, even the adult ones. They would do their best to prevent harm, but it was not always guaranteed. If a child, or adult, wanted to harm themselves badly enough, they would, even after they had their tools taken away. Even if they ended up in the hospital wing or their Head of House's guest quarters. It didn't happen often, but it did happen. She would do everything in her power to help her students and staff, to help them stop harming themselves.

Phil grimaced but nodded. It made sense and it was logically. He knew Tim check each of the self harmers during their sessions. He just didn't want to be one of them. "And if the scans are not...great?" He asked cautiously.

"Are you planning to do serious harm to yourself?" Alexis asked sharply, breathing a bit easier when he shook his head. His eyes said that he wasn't lying there. "I believe you already know the answer to this. Tim or I would put you under restriction, to either the hospital wing or one of our quarters, if it became necessary. But let's hope it doesn't become necessary." She responded evenly, raising an eyebrow at him. His injuries, a series of shallow cuts, scratches, and bruises, were not great but they were also not as bad as they could be. It showed everything of an occasional harmer, not an addicted self harmer.

"Alright. I assume you will inform Tim." He sighed, glancing away before meeting her eyes again. He was not as serious a self harmer as he used to be. It was now a sometimes thing, usually only when he was angry with himself or frustrated. There was something else he needed to say though, and he knew it.

"I shall. Now, unless you wish to divulge your soul to me, on with you." Alexis dismissed, reaching for her parchment.

Phil stood slowly, stretching and grateful that the sting was now fading. It would have been embarrassing if his boys had noticed. They probably wouldn't have, but Charlie would have and he would have teased him endlessly. "Headmistress...Alexis. I apologize for my earlier words. I was angry and cruel. I did not mean...I am sorry." He remarked quietly, meeting her eyes for a moment before looking away.

"I know, Phil. I was aware that they were spoken in anger." Alexis replied softly, gray eyes warm. He nodded and headed toward the door. "However, if you ever speak in such a way to me in front of students or if you try to run from me again, you will deeply regret it Phillip." She purred dangerously, causing the young man to shiver. She watched him leave for a moment before putting her head in her hands and closing her eyes. Merlin, it was going to be a long summer.


	8. First Day

A/N:_ Do not own. The first day of camp does not start off as expected and Harry starts to become more defiant and withdrawn, ending with a swift punishment. And perhaps you will see many sides of the Headmistress... Not much Severus in this one, nor w as he in the last very much. But Remus is here and Severus will show up more prominently soon. It might seem like it ends weirdly, but trust me. It all makes sense in the end. Enjoy. And use your words! _

~Cas

-x-

The first day of camp was hectic so far. Organized chaos. And Tim wondered why she was not sleeping lately. The day had started out as calmly as any day with so many children could. The craft project the younger group had started when well, although she might have to have a word to Charity about giving pre-teens paint and spoons...The older group, as they had decided to break the children into two groups, in the hopes of being able to keep their interest and giving them challenging enough activities, had started with sports. Which should have been fine. Nothing should have gone wrong in a scrimmage football game. The muggleborns had asked for it and taught the ones who did not know how to play over the weekend. A simple football game should not have ended with one student in the infirmary and another sent to her. The angry boy sitting in her office, Elijah, had not started a fight or accidentally injured his fellow camper. No, the fifteen year old had, seemingly at random, attacked another boy. Alexis sighed, surveying the boy for a moment before glancing down at his file. She knew what it said of course, and she knew which group he was a part of. He was in her office because he refused to cooperate with Jake and Henry. Nor had he spoken a word in the last ten minutes. "Will you tell me what happened Mr. Lecore?" She asked finally, gray eyes meeting defiant, angry green.

Elijah looked down, glaring at his shoes. He didn't have to talk to her. To anyone. He was alone and he knew it. No one gave a damn, so he didn't either.

"I cannot help if I do not know what is wrong, Elijah." Alexis remarked dryly, eyes on the teenager. This age was always one of the difficult ones, when they felt like the world was against them already, without the addition of abuse. Unbrushed brown hair; rumpled torn clothes; the anger he wore like a cloak...it was not just a defiant teenager, but a hurting one.

"Nothing is wrong." Elijah shrugged, arms crossed, feet tapping.

"You hit Mr. Green, Elijah. If I am not mistaken, you hit him several times before Jake managed to pull you off of him. That does not say that nothing is wrong to me. Something is clearly wrong." Alexis drawled, raising an eyebrow at the boy. He flushed briefly before the mask came back up.

"So expel me already." Elijah shrugged again, indifferent. He didn't really care. He had no where to go, it was true, but at least then no one would be pretending to care about him.

"Do you want to be expelled, Elijah?" She hadn't mentioned expulsion at all, nor was it an option. The child was staying at Hogwarts were he would be taken care of and loved. She knew he did not want to go back to his family and even if he did, legally he was a ward of Hogwarts now. They had easily given up custody of him.

"It doesn't matter. No one cares, either way." Elijah snapped, glaring out the window.

"That is where you are wrong. I care, Elijah." Alexis replied quietly. That was the crux of the matter then, an issue she knew she would have to address a dozen more times. Some of the children, no matter how heavily abused, would feel abandoned. Because their parents had given them up, even if those parents had nearly killed them. It was the unknown now, not knowing what would happen to them and believing that no one should care about them, if their own families did not.

Elijah snorted, turning his gaze back to the young Headmistress. It was all a lie, he knew. She couldn't care about him, there were too many other students that needed her attention. He was alone and he knew it. "You don't." He hissed finally, meeting her eyes. But her eyes were not pitying or impatient. But rather..concerned. Damn woman.

"Oh? If that was true, would I take the time to talk with you? If I did not care, why then would I not just hand down punishment and sent you on your way? I care, Elijah. I care not only because you are one of my students, nor merely because you are one of my wards. I care about _you,_ Elijah. I care if you pass Herbology or eat your vegetables, if you are happy or angry. I care if you are upset or lonely, sick or hurting. There are forty-nine children at Hogwarts so far this summer. Nineteen, so far, are direct wards of the school, of Hogwarts' Headmistress. Including you, Elijah. Perhaps you do not believe that someone can care for nineteen children as individuals, but I must disagree with you. Hogwarts is a family and as a family cares about and loves each child here. As the head of this family, I do care about _you_, whether or not you choose to believe that. You are not alone, Elijah. I am here for you. But you have to talk to me. I cannot help if you do not." She stated quietly, sharp eyes watching the young man in front of her. He was shaking slightly, legs jiggling.

Elijah forced his body to still, or tried to anyway. It was a nervous habit, stupid and childish. Perhaps she might actually care. But no one could _love_ a freak like him. Hadn't his father made that clear to him, time and again? But she would not hurt him, he did not know how he knew, he just did. Her eyes were kind and concerned, so different from the eyes of most adults. His bunk counselors, and even his teachers, not included. They also held concern in their eyes, although sometimes he saw pity. He so hated pity. He didn't need their pity. Not at all. But her care...perhaps he did need that. Not that he would ever admit it to anyone, of course. He was a man after all, and men did not admit such foolishness aloud. "I was...angry. Not at Phil, he was just there, in the way." He offered finally, meeting her eyes for a brief moment longer before looking down at his lap. He was no better than his father, to attack a bystander out of rage.

"Why were you angry?" She questioned softly.

"Mum sent an owl. Said they signed me over and didn't want me anymore. Didn't need me anymore." He muttered, biting the inside of his cheek. He wasn't going to cry. It shouldn't bother him, he knew that they had hated him. But it did hurt, to be so unwanted.

Ah. That made sense then. Her student was hurting and she understood why. Completely. She moved slowly, making sure to make a bit of noise, so that he would not be startled, standing and walking around her desk. She crouched down near his chair, so that they were on eye level, slowly reaching out and resting a gentle, firm hand on his shoulder. "Look at me, Elijah." She ordered softly. Green eyes bright with unshed tears met hers. "You are not alone. You hear me? You have a family here, at Hogwarts, if you will let us become your family. You are not unwanted or unloved. I care, Elijah. I care."

Words should not make him fall apart. He was suppose to be emotionless, empty. But he was not. At her last words, tears started to run down his cheeks. Perhaps she was right. It hurt so much, to be abandoned by his family. So much. But her care...it helped. And so he cried.

Alexis opened her arms wordlessly, catching an armful of gangly teenager as he fell into the hug he desperately needed, comfort that he was foreign to. "You are safe. You are loved. You are cared about." She whispered softly, the mantra she herself had used in the past. She kept whispering comforting nonsense until he slowly calmed down, before he finally pulled back. She kept an hand on his shoulder, conjuring a wet flannel and gently wiping his face. Elijah flinched but relaxed quickly. This hurting young man trusted her, and that, more than anything, told her that she was getting through to him.

-x-

"I like this, Harry. It is a beautiful piece." Remus remarked, studying the canvas thoughtfully. He had seen several of the other children's pieces drying in the Great Hall and it was all quite unique. The mixture of colours that Harry had used were not as bright as some of the other paintings and there was no pink anywhere. It had dark colours and tones, splattered seemingly at random. But there was a pattern there that he could detect. The idea of throwing spoonfuls of paint at canvas was different, to say the least. And therapeutic as well. Art was therapeutic, after all, and the act of throwing away anger or hurt with paint was perhaps refreshing for some of these children. It was lunch time and although he was a bit surprised that Harry had sought him out, he was also pleased.

Harry frowned down at the canvas, covered in dark blues, purples, and greys. It was not bright and pretty, nor did he think of it as beautiful. It was more of a dark work, something that wasn't necessarily happy. His was less dark than Teddy's though. Teddy's painting had been black and red, apparently concerning to Charlie. His friend wasn't at lunch, so he figured he'd see Remus. He didn't want to admit it, not aloud anyway, but he liked being around his guardians. They were...nice and caring. They also made him feel safe.

"Can you tell me about your painting, Harry?" Remus asked quietly, turning warm brown eyes back on the silent child. He caught sight of one of Harry's counselors, looking searchingly around the Great Hall and bit back a sigh. Harry had this habit of just disappearing, the child was not used to people wanting to know where he was. He caught the younger man's eyes and gave a slight inclination of his head. He had Harry, all was well. He knew Paul, for he believed the blue haired young man was Paul, would understand that silent message. He turned his eyes back to focus completely on Harry.

"It's just paint, Remus." Harry shrugged, green eyes still focused on the canvas. If he didn't look up, Remus wouldn't be able to see the lie.

"Really? It seems like a lot more than just paint to me, Harry." Remus raised an eyebrow, frowning slightly. He was quite aware that there was emotion behind the piece but he also knew that Harry might not be ready yet, to talk to him about it. He just didn't like to see his child so...hurting and withdrawn.

Harry grimaced, shrugging again. "No. It's just a stupid painting." He scowled, glaring up at Remus finally, before dropping the painting, turning and taking off, or trying to anyway. He scowled up at the older boy who he had run into, mumbling a brief apology and trying to push past.

"Whoa there, little man. What's the big rush?" The tall seventeen year old red head asked, frowning slightly as he crouched to be on eye level with the younger boy.

"Don't wanna talk." Harry mumbled, shooting a glance back at Remus, who had slowly started weaving his way toward them but had stopped to speak briefly with Paul.

"Ah. I get that. You can't just take off though. It worries them, ya know?" The teenager, Bain, raised an eyebrow as the younger boy merely shrugged. He quickly matched the child with a name in his head. This was Harry, then. Not many of the kids had hair so naturally unruly. Part of the younger boy's cabin but part of the E group, as Charlie and Jake called them. Also, a runner. And good at losing those who were trying to keep an eye on him.

"So?" Harry glared. They probably weren't really worried. His relatives never were, so why should they be? Besides, it wasn't like he would leave the grounds.

"So? Man, they care about _you_. It worries them, all the adults, even me, when you disappear like that. Taking off doesn't make it better, kid. If you don't want to talk, tell them. But don't run away. Running from your problems makes them worse." Bain sighed, glancing at the nearing Remus. "Just try, Harry. Alright? Don't run." He added quietly, straightening slowly so not to startle the younger, much smaller boy. These children did not look nine or ten, let alone nearly teenagers.

"Harry?" Remus questioned quietly, coming up to the two boys. "Hello again, Bain." He nodded to the older boy with a slight smile, before turning his eyes back to the young boy with arms folded across his little chest and green eyes glaring at the floor. The young face was a mask.

"Remus. Be good, Harry." Bain smiled at the older man, ruffling the boy's hair to indignant gasps as he walked past and into the Great Hall. At least the child was no longer scowling.

"Come, Harry." Remus beckoned, stepping past the child, out into the entrance way.

Harry grumbled softly but followed the older man slowly, recognizing the path to the dungeons quickly. "Am I in trouble?"

"No."

"Where's Prof- Severus?"

"He should be finishing up a potion right about now. We will lunch with him in our quarters." Remus replied, glancing back at the dawdling child.

"Why?"

"Because Severus will appreciate the company." Remus bit back a sigh. Perhaps it was a sign that the child was becoming more comfortable with them that he was asking questions at all. But he doubted that. Harry was stalling, trailing behind him. The preteen was quite...defiant and bitter today. Angry, even. Today was the first day of camp and he knew all the children would start testing limits. But he hadn't expected Harry to try so soon. Of course, a refusal to talk was not unusual from this child, or many of them, actually. At least the boy was not lashing out in anger, as one of the older teens had. He opened the door to their quarters, gesturing for the boy to go first. He did not believe that Harry would take off again, but it was better to be safe than to have to hunt the child down. He knew that Alexis was debating seriously placing a tracking charm on the boy, although he was not the worst runner. The worst, a twelve year old girl who had been raped repeatedly, already had a tracking charm on her, as well as an older girl nearby to keep an eye on her nearly all the time.. But the little girl did not disappear in the middle of the night as Harry did. Nor did she frequent places that were out of bounds.

-x-

Severus glanced up from the paper he was pouring over, frowning slightly as a unhappy child stalked into their living quarters. He raised an eyebrow at Remus but remained silent, setting the papers aside as a elf popped into the kitchen with several dishes of sandwiches, vegetables and fruit. He had just finished making another three large cauldrons full of nutrient draft, which he had bottled, with his new apprentice's help, and sent to the kitchen. The elves were now spiking the drinks of the entire student population with the potion, it was easier that way. The elves were quite good at making sure each child got the correct amount and that the spiked juice was finished.

Harry stalked into the kitchen, dropping into his usual chair. Lunch had barely started in the Great Hall and he hadn't eaten yet. But he had wanted to wait for Teddy. Stupid guardians.

"Problems?" Severus asked quietly, stretching with a small groan.

"Nothing new." Remus replied, equally quiet, eyes going to the child. "Come Sev, lunch."

-x-

"You get in trouble, Teddy?" Harry asked curiously, kicking his feet against the wall of the ledge they were sitting on.

"No, not really. Charlie was 'concerned'." Teddy shrugged, laying on his back, his head propped up on his hands. They were on one of the tower walls. Harry had said that he knew a place where they could talk. Besides that, he was tired of the concerned looks he kept giving. Just because his painting was of blood splatters, they get all upset. Perhaps he shouldn't have said that. But it had just come out. And after spending time with both Charlie and Tim, refusing to talk to either of them, he needed a break. Time away from the camp. Away from concerned adult eyes. So they were skipping swimming in the lake. Harry because he could not swim and himself because he was afraid of water. It happened when someone tried to drown you. Twice.

"Sometimes I get tired of the concern. It's...confusing." Harry admitted quietly, staring out across the grounds.

"I know, right? No ones ever really cared before. And now people care all the time. It wears you down and makes you want to fight with them, just so they'd stop pretending to care." Teddy sighed, watching the clouds slowly form above. They would be in trouble when they were caught, because they would be found. Eventually. But he really didn't care. He wanted to push them. After all, what was the worst they could do? There was no where else for him to go and he knew the Headmistress would not sent him home. She had promised that to him, which shouldn't count as much but for some reason it did to him. Some reason, her promises mattered.

"I don't think their all pretending." Harry shrugged. They couldn't all be pretending. Severus and Remus were too concerned to be pretending, too interested in him and what he was up to for it all to be pretend. They had asked if he would rather not attend the camp, if he rather just spend the days with them. But he had asked to stay with the camp, with the agreement that he could sleep in his room and be in their quarters whenever he felt the need, as long as he told someone where he was going first. Apparently that was a big deal, this not telling people where he was going to be stuff. It was so stupid though. They didn't need to know, he was quite capable of taking care of himself. Stupid adults. He grimaced and slammed his hand into his head twice. He wasn't suppose to think like that, to think bad of adults. Uncle had said so.

"Harry?" Teddy asked quietly, sharp eyes focusing on his friend.

"I'm okay. Just..."

"Bad thoughts?"

"Yeah." Harry shrugged, turning green eyes to meet light brown.

"Just be careful, okay? Falling off the wall would be bad. Real bad." Teddy replied slowly, keeping his eyes on Harry even as the slightly younger boy turned back to the view of the grounds. It was unnerving, to see someone else harm themselves. He would never harm himself in front of Harry, but their methods of harm were different, so perhaps that was why it was so ingrained into Harry to do it instantly, instead of finding a private place. Perhaps his relatives had not cared or even encourage it, where as his father had seen it as weak, as another reason he was so useless. Damn it. He couldn't think like that, not right now.

Harry shuddered, making sure not to look down. Falling would be bad, although he could feel the wards up here, keeping them on the wall. It still would be terrifying. "Definitely."

-x-

Alexis paused at the top of the stairs, listening to the sounds of children's voices. She could not quite make out what they were saying, but she was positive that she knew who the children were, up here out of bounds. She had, purely by accident, ran into a frantic counselor in the hallway, who had seemingly misplaced two preteens. Two preteens that she wasn't sure their names, because they were not of her cabin and she had merely been with the younger group at the lakeside while two of the cabin counselors had a brief free period. All the young woman had known was that she did a head count and she was missing two. And so in a panic she left the other children to Hagrid's supervision and went looking for the missing children. Amazingly thoughtless. After scolding the young woman and sending her back to the lake, she had searched along the wards to find two children who were not where they were suppose to be. And she found them. She stepped into the doorway, surveying the two backs of the children and casting a sticking spell to each. She had warned Harry about this, that child was destined to give her a heart attack before he graduated, she was sure. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Nott. Exactly, what are you doing?" She drawled, stepping out into the open. Both boys startled but the sticking spell kept them in place. Neither boy would be happy when she was done with them.

"Professor! We were just...talking." Harry grimaced, staring down at his lap.

Steel eyes looked between the two boys, a brow arched. "Mr. Potter, I have warned you about being up here and on the walls, have I not?" She asked quietly, her tone stern. Teddy was silent, but she expected that. The child rarely spoke unless spoken to, a habit they hoped to break and soon.

"Yes Professor, but-"

"Was that order unclear, Harry?" She asked quietly, cutting the boy off. She knew it hadn't been, but she wanted to see what he said.

"No, professor."

"Alright then. There are sticking spells on both of you. Teddy, may I lift you off the wall?" Alexis requested, take a few slow steps toward them. The brown haired child hesitated for several long moments before finally nodding. She canceled the spell on him, lifting him up and setting him down. Really, the wall reached almost over both of the boy's heads. She wasn't quite sure how they managed to clamber up or their plans for getting down. "Harry?"

Harry scowled, glaring at the ground. He could get down on his own. He didn't need help. "I can do it." He snapped.

"That's not what I asked, Harry."

He growled under his breath, crossing his arms.

"Mr. Potter, I am not removing the sticking spell until you allow me to lift you down. I am willing to wait as long as it takes, but that is the only way you are coming off that wall." Alexis stated sternly.

Harry grumbled for a moment longer before finally nodding. "Fine." But that didn't mean he had to be happy about it.

Alexis removed the sticking spell and picked the child up. But instead of instantly setting him down, she smacked his bottom twice. The child yelped but she was aware that although it hurt, it was more of a surprised yelp. She set his feet on the ground and stepped back, crouching so that she was on eye level with both of the boys. "I warned you, Mr. Potter. Putting yourself purposefully in danger is not acceptable here any longer. The next time I find you on any tower wall, you will not get off so lightly." She explained quietly, biting back a sigh at the bit of fear that crept into his eyes. "And no, Harry. I will never beat you, either of you. But I will turn you over my knee if you keep putting yourself in danger so recklessly. Do you understand?" When the child finally nodded, she turned her eyes toward Teddy. "As for you, Mr. Nott, I don't want to catch you on any walls again, or you will face the same consequences as Harry." She wasn't even so upset that they were on the tower in the first place. But to be climbing on the walls like they didn't have a care in the world, it was unacceptable. Especially from these two boys.

Teddy nodded solemnly, glancing at his friend. Harry seemed more embarrassed than hurt, but he bet his friend wouldn't do it again. After all, beatings might leave damage, but a spanking would still hurt. And they were almost thirteen!

"Good. Now, I want an essay from both of you, due in two days times. Teddy, you may write yours on why this was dangerous. And Harry, you will write yours on why you disobeyed me. Two feet each, please. You will both also apologize to Calli for disappearing like that. Understand?" The punishments were fair and perhaps even lenient, but she had a feeling that Harry, at least, would be hard put to write two feet on why he did as he did.

"Yes professor." They chorused.

"Good boys. Now, let us return to the camp." Alexis waved her hand toward the stairwell and both boys scampered down. She followed at a slower pace. She was the one, after all, who would have to tell Severus that she had swatted his child, even as well earned as it was. Although, she doubted Severus or Remus would disagree with the punishment. If the summer kept on as it was going, it was going to be long and tiring.

-x-

_A/n: For those curious, no this will not become a discipline fic. Although, Harry might possibly earn himself a smacking in a latter chapter. Because we all know how prone Harry is to recklessly putting himself in danger. _


	9. Adoption?

A/N:_ WARNING: This chapter may be cute and your brain may implode from the cuteness. Anyway. Do not own. Still AU. So here is Severus' reaction to Alexis' actions as well as the resulting conversation with Filius... And a Teddy scene, which is both angsty and cute. Enjoy. X's are scene breaks! Italics are thoughts, usually. Also, use your words._

_~Cas  
_

_-x-_

"You did _what?_" Severus snarled, sneering at the younger woman. She had _hit_ their child? Alexis? Oh, there better be a good reason for this.

Alexis rolled her eyes. Perhaps she hadn't thought it out as much as she should have, but she had promised the child consequences and she knew that she hadn't actually harmed him. Nor would she ever 'spank' the child without good reason; not unless he put himself in serious danger. The boys had not been in much danger, although they could have fallen and broken bones, but she had warned him. She hadn't wanted him to believe that she didn't follow through. "I promised him consequences, Severus. I warned him to stay off the walls. He is so used to foolishly risking his life without thinking about it first. No one ever told him that his life had value, that is what I was trying to impart to him. Tell me, would you not have done the same?" She retorted finally, looking up from her paperwork to watch the potion's master pace for a moment. Remus merely shook his own head, hiding a smile. The other man had already agreed with her actions. But Severus was a bit rash when it came to his students, just as she was.

He paused for a moment, frowning slightly. He probably would have done something similar, actually. He didn't believe in corporeal punishment, precisely, and he knew that Alexis didn't either. But the stinging spell for older students and a swat for younger students who needed the consequences was acceptable in his mind. They had even told Harry that they would spank him if he put his life in danger, but only then. And only because they wanted him to realize that putting himself in danger had consequences because they cared about him. So he understood her point. He just didn't like it. Nor was he quite sure how the abused child would have taken it, perhaps he would see it the same as a beating? Or perhaps he would understand that they only punished him because they cared about him. Severus finally scowled, resuming his pacing. "Be that as it may, what if he becomes afraid of you?" He drawled finally.

"I don't believe he will. But if he does, I will speak to him. Tim, I believe, was also going to talk to him about his constant disregard for himself, so perhaps that will bring anything to light if necessary." Alexis shrugging, turning back to her work.

"Discipline has never caused either you or Alexis to fear me, Severus. Rather, it has shown you that I care when you misbehave. It will, hopefully, teach Harry the same." Filius injected quietly, his eyes following the pacing young man. The dark-haired man merely nodded, deep in his thoughts. Perhaps it was time for the conversation he had been wanting to have with these two, but they had been busy and it had been hectic. It was still busy and hectic. He had waited for nearly a year, but perhaps the time was finally right. He glanced toward the young woman and bit back a chuckle. She had flushed, eyes staring unmoving at her work.

"Harry is acting out. He is not the only student doing so. But I don't believe physical punishment will stop that. Hopefully, he will come to believe that we care about his safety. But if he keeps taking off..."Remus remarked quietly, eyes following his lover. It was a genuine concern of his, that Harry might do more than just run when he was scared or angry. That the child might decide to run away.

"He needs discipline. If he keeps running, we ground him. We also add a tracking charm, that way when he does run, we can always find him." Severus sighed, shaking his head slightly. That child had a tendency to take off. It was a habit that they needed to break, and soon.

"Have you spoken to him about adoption yet?" Alexis asked, looking up again. The paperwork in her hand, complete legalese, had remained her of what the two men had mentioned briefly the other day.

"Not yet. Is that Bain's paperwork?" Remus asked quietly, raising an eyebrow at the sudden topic change. They were seriously considering adopting Harry, to give him more stability for one. But also to make sure that he would always have them. They had fallen in love with this child, it made sense to adopt him.

"It is."

"He's a good apprentice. He also has a solid talent for potions. " Severus remarked quietly, glancing over Alexis' shoulder as he paced past.

"Lucius will be pleased to hear that. His sponsorship of Bain has helped greatly with the stupid Board agreeing to allow him to stay over the summer and next, if necessary. I need to arrange a meeting between the two." Alexis smirked, looking up at her brother. Lucius Malfoy had been a great help with sponsoring the summer camp and some of the older students. That was one man who may have made a mistake in his youth, but had grown into a good man. Narcissa probably had much to do with that, as did their child. Narcissa had told her that Lucius had grumbled about adopting every single orphan if he could, he was firmly against child abuse, having watched his friend grow up with it. Narcissa had convinced him to work toward opening a home for those children, so that they were wanted and loved. She frowned, turning to look at Filius when the older man cleared his throat.

"Speaking of adoption..."Filius began, trailing off when three pairs of eyes turned to him.

"You found a student you want to adopt?" Alexis asked quietly, raising an eyebrow at the older man. She had told the staff that if they wanted to adopt one of the students who were wards, that she would help them. She knew Pomona and Charity were talking about each adopting a child...or ten. Those women had big hearts, but she was surprised that Filius wanted to adopt a child...and perhaps a bit jealous. She had grown close to the older man, as she knew Severus had also.

"Not precisely." Filius replied quietly, eyes going between gray and nearly black ones. Remus was watching him with a slight, knowing smile. Although he did care for the sandy-haired younger man, he knew that even if he didn't adopt the werewolf, the man would become a part of his family, legally even.

"Well?" Severus questioned, raising an eyebrow at the older man. The charms master was looking at him like he did when he was in trouble. Although, he took comfort in the fact that those intense eyes were also watching Alexis. He bit back a groan, dropping gracefully into a chair at Filius' gesture.

"Filius?" Alexis frowned, glancing at Severus. The half goblin was acting odd, odder than normal anyway.

"I'll go make tea, shall I?" Remus remarked suddenly, standing and heading into Alexis' small kitchen, breaking into a grin once he was out of Severus and Alexis' sight. This would be good for both of them, for all three of them actually.

"It is not a student that I wish to adopt. Rather, I wish to adopt my two children, as I have come to consider them. Of course, that is if they wish to be my children legally, as they are already the children of my heart." Filius remarked finally, watching two sets of confused eyes before realization lit in both of them. He bit back a smirk, shifting restlessly. Hopefully, they would not shoot him down. That was his worst fear, that they would not want him.

"Us?" Alexis croaked, finding her voice after a few moments of strained silence. She understood Severus, he always called the other man 'son'. But her? He had only know her for two years, although they had grown quite close in the last year and a half. Filius had taken her under his wings, had brought her and Severus closer together. She already thought of him as a parent, but she had not been aware that he felt the same. He was part of her family already, making it legal wouldn't change too much.

Severus turned onyx eyes to meet Alexis', slightly raising an eyebrow. Her eyes were bright and she gave him a slight nod. He turned back to meet Filius' eyes, allowing a small smile to grace his features. "We would love to become your children, as you have already been a better father to us than either of us had as children."

Filius smiled at the younger man, turning his eyes to Alexis. He knew, of course, that Severus would only speak for Alexis with her consent, but he wanted to see if she had anything to add to this. After all, it would change their lives, even if not drastically. Both were adults, but even adults, especially young ones, at least in the wizarding world both were considered young still, could use the guidance and understanding of a parent. Perhaps someone to hold them accountable for their actions as well, although he had been doing that for both of them for a while. He was going to adopt a twenty-six and thirty-two year old, which would bring a thirty-three year old son-in-law, he could help with the wedding!; a nearly thirteen year old grandson, perhaps two, and he was nearly certain Alexis was planning to adopt at least two students, if she could. "If Alexis is healthy enough by the Solstice, we will hold the ritual then and I will go ahead and file the papers." He remarked softly, raising an eyebrow at the young woman.

"Alright. But there is one condition to this adoption. We get to call you Papa or Dad." Alexis grinned, causing the older man to chuckle quietly.

"Yes, that is fine child." Fine indeed. He would love to be their papa, their dad.

-x-

Once again, a child was out of bed. This time, however, Alexis was blindly following Hogwarts' magic deeper into the castle. The child, she was not clear which child it was, was somewhere in the intricate twisting of the corridors, deep within the fifth floor. Hogwarts had alerted her to a distressed child, whose magic was not in control. The closer she got, the more she could feel the bursts of magic spilling off. The child must have ran blindly from the third floor rooms, that was the only explanation on how they were so deep on the fifth floor. She stopped next to an old unused classroom, one she was hoping to use for one of the new classes, eyes quickly scanning the room. Magic was pulsing from here, but at first glance no one was there. She could feel the child though and she smelt..blood. It took her a moment to find him under one of the desks, his back pressed against the wall. He didn't see her, but it only took a second to recognizing him and to see the blade he pressed into his leg. Alexis moved slowly, cautiously toward the small boy. She made a bit of noise and his head snapped up, knife still held to his leg. "Teddy?" She called softly.

Teddy froze, eyes wide with fear. He clutched his knife tightly, tracking her movements. The headmistress approached slowly, but stopped a few feet away and did not block him in. He had plenty of room to escape if he needed to. But he had a feeling that she wouldn't hurt him. He wasn't sure though. Hadn't she gotten upset that Harry had done something bad? Wasn't he being bad?

"Teddy, could you put the knife on the floor child?" Alexis asked gently, crouching a few feet away from the boy. She wanted him to feel safe around her, so she would not take it from him. That was too heavy-handed, and dangerous. The magic surrounding the boy was barely within his control. She did not want to cause him to lose control; she was not certain what kind of damage his accidental magic might cause.

"Why do you wear a glamour, professor?" Teddy asked suddenly, eyes meeting hers. There was no accusation there, just curiosity.

She froze, gray eyes flashing briefly before sighing softly. "That is a very long story Teddy. How did you know I was wearing a glamour? Can you see through it?" Alexis asked slowly, settling down on the floor. It might just be a long conversation, she might as well save her knees from the pain they would feel later.

Teddy hesitated, grimacing slightly. He still held the knife but it was no longer against his skin. He didn't like hurting himself in front of other people. Besides, his leg was already bleeding pretty nastily. "One of my friend's sees magic. He mentioned it earlier, but only to me. He didn't know what it was, but he can't see through it." He shrugged finally.

"Ah, I see." She frowned slightly, eyes focused intently on the boy's leg. Seeing magic was a rare gift, it usually came about at puberty. And although she would like to ask more, there were more pressing matters here. Namely, the boy in front of her. "Teddy? Could I heal your leg please?"

"No!" He cried, jerking backwards suddenly.

"Easy Teddy. I won't hurt you. I just want to stop the bleeding, I can even leave the pain if you like." She added quickly, sighing softly. It was not something she liked to do, but she could just get the wound started healing and leave the majority of the pain. Otherwise, he might harm himself again.

Teddy hesitated, finally slowly stretching his leg out toward her. "You won't make it go away?"

Alexis' eyes soften, shaking her head slowly. "No Teddy. I will not make the pain go away. It's alright. I will not hurt you." She replied quietly, feeling her heart clench. Fear made him sound so much younger than he was. But she knew that children often did regress to a younger state of mind when they were afraid, especially abused children. Teddy expected to be punished, not for breaking curfew but for harming himself. She knew it would take a while before the child felt safe here but his reactions were so...heartbreaking.

He nodded finally, giving his silent permission. Wide eyes watched as she rested a gentle hand on either side of his wound, fascinated as the wound burned briefly and then closed, scabbing over. But the pain was still there, just like she promised. "You didn't use a spell, Professor?" He knew healing spells, what she had done was not a spell. It was actually quite advanced, something that he _might_ eventually learn as an apprentice if he had any talent for it. Not everyone could heal and fewer could touch-heal.

"I didn't." Alexis clarified, smiling at the small boy. It was not surprising that Teddy would recognize the form of magic. "I am a touch-healer primarily, Teddy. As are many Mind-healers." She added quietly, gray eyes meeting brown. "Can you tell me what happened, Teddy?

Teddy grimaced, biting his lip. "I'm alright, professor." He murmured, staring at his feet. It was a lie and they both knew it, but it was a necessary lie.

"I see. Let me clarify my question, then. Why are you hiding here Teddy?"

He wasn't hiding, exactly. He had just ran, wanting desperately to find a place where he could harm himself in peace. Because he needed the pain, it helped him forget. "Space." He whispered finally.

Alexis frowned, raising an eyebrow at the child. "You needed space? To be alone? That is understandable, Teddy. Why did you decide to harm yourself?" She questioned quietly, summarizing what she knew of the child in her mind. Pureblood, nearly thirteen, heavily abused. He had also quickly became friends with Harry, the two were nearly always with each other these last few days before camp started. She knew he was quiet and withdrawn, not surprising really with the amount and type of abuse he underwent. He was a self harmer, loved dragons and was terrified of being touched. His birthday was also in a few days. She could easily understand the need for privacy, they were working on adding some free time to the camp so the children weren't always surrounded by each other. But she was a mind-healer and finding a child harming himself under a table at one in the morning sent warning bells off in her head. It wasn't a sudden whim. Something had happened to cause the child to need to harm himself. It was just a matter of hoping that he would trust her enough to talk to her about it.

Teddy hesitated, briefly closing his eyes. It was _personal_. Why would he tell anyone about something so personal? He knew that Severus wanted him to start talking about it, the man had listened for two years when he had felt like talking, which was rarely, but he just wasn't sure he could. He wasn't suppose to talk about it.

"May I tell you a secret, Teddy?" Alexis asked suddenly, catching his eyes as he quickly looked up. A nod was her only answer. It was not, perhaps, a secret she should share with a student, nor was it what the child thought she would say. But she had this feeling that it would help. Being honest with this child would show him that she trusted him, and in turn he might start to trust her. "When I was younger, I used a glamour to hide who I truly was because I was frightened. I didn't want anyone to know that I was scared and hurting, so I pretended I wasn't. I still use a glamour, to hide how sick I was from those who cared about me. A while ago, I realized how hiding from them was really my mind's way of hiding from myself." She remarked quietly, meeting wide eyes. She knew that he understood the message she was trying to send him, the words she wasn't saying. That hiding from herself hadn't been healthy, that this was something very personal about herself, something she did not want repeated.

Teddy blinked, looking up at his professor. Wasn't that personal, what she just said? He had been taught that personal matters were not to be discussed. Of course, he had learned this from the end of his father's wand, but that was not important now. He knew a true secret when he heard one and he would not betray her trust. But why would she, a powerful witch, trust a little whelp like him? He was nothing, a nobody. Wasn't that what his father had said? A useless little bastard? But didn't Tim say that his father was wrong? And he knew that the headmistress would always keep her promises and that she promised not to hurt him. He trusted her not to hurt him, so shouldn't he trust her with his own very personal secrets? If his father found out, he'd be dead. Literally. But he knew that if his father ever found him, he would also be dead. Because his father's secret, well one of them, was out. And many of the purebloods were angry at his father. Because children, apparently, were important to the wizarding families and precious, something to be loved and cared for. Not beaten and...damn it. "I couldn't sleep, professor. My mind would not quiet." Teddy remarked finally, briefly meeting her eyes once more. As his fear receded, his articulate nature returned.

"What was causing your mind distress?" Alexis asked quietly, eyes soft. It was clear that the child was processing a lot in his mind, Teddy was not one to say something without thinking first.

He bit back a sigh, gazing off into the distance for a moment. His birthday was soon, that had been keeping him awake. Not from excitement, but fear. His father had always made sure his birthday was spent uncomfortable and often in pain. He knew that some of the things his father had done were inherently wrong, but they had been done to him and he did not really count, did he? He was a waste of space, he knew. And he was tired. His mind would not shut down though. He kept expecting his father to just appear to punish and humiliate him. Admitting fear was a weakness, but hadn't his Professor just admitted being afraid once to him? And she was not weak. Perhaps his father was wrong there too. "Fear." He admitted finally, coming to a surprisingly easy decision. For some reason, he trusted her.

"What were you afraid of?"

"Father. He always comes before my birthday." Teddy shrugged, biting his lip, eyes lowered.

She hesitated for a moment, before slowly reaching out and resting a gentle hand on the child's shoulder. He flinched but didn't pull away. Alexis knew the extend of abuse Teddy had suffered, from his medical records and the small amount that Tim had managed to get from him. The boy had suffered from physical and sexual abuse for years; he had never told anyone about the sexual abuse and he had hid it well. She could only guess at what he meant, but she knew that either way, it was not good. "What did he do Teddy?" She asked gently, letting a drop of calming magic flow from her hand into the child. His body had gone rigid and his breathing had came in rushed bursts.

Teddy relaxed slowly, allowing the little bit of calming magic to settle him. "He...a lot of things, professor. He did a lot of things. Mostly, he cursed me. Sometimes, when he was drunk, he beat me. And sometimes he...did the bad things. Birthdays were the worse." He replied finally, shuddering slightly at that last thought. He had hated the beatings and the curses, but the...bad things were worse.

"Do you realize that it was not your fault, Teddy? He hurt you because he was a cruel, vile man. There was nothing you could have done to stop it. It does not make you bad or worthless. Certainly not unwanted or unlovable. You are a bright, kind young man, with plenty to show the world." Alexis said quietly, squeezing his shoulder. Bright eyes filled with unshed tears met hers before blinking rapidly. She smiled softly at the child and opened her arms in welcome to him. The boy had been denied the comfort of a gentle touch for years, all physical contact he had known was violent and angry.

Teddy hesitated. He was not used to this, not sure of her offer. He did not really like to be touched but a part of him was screaming for the contact. His heart wanted it, even if his mind was still wary. He slide slowly from under the desk, biting his lip briefly. Her kind smile was encouraging, but her eyes shone with such care and concern that his head ached. He was not used to someone caring that much about _him. _He was a Slytherin, he was used to wearing and reading masks. The headmistress usually wore one, but now it was gone. Her concern was not faked, not that he could tell. The weight of the day and the conversation finally became to much and he suddenly hurled himself into her lap, trying to force the tears to not fall.

Alexis caught the child with ease, settling him on her lap so that his head was on her shoulder and her arms were wrapped around the small body. He was nearly thirteen, yes. But his emotional growth had been stunted, so this was not unexpected at all. He was also too small for his age, which made it easier to hold him comfortably on her lap. She rubbed smoothing circles into Teddy's back, resting her chin on his head. "You are safe child. No one will harm you Teddy. I promise you that. I will protect you." She whispered soothingly, before starting to murmur comforting nonsense into his ears.

Teddy froze at her words, feeling something inside his heart break free. He was hurting, he knew. Deep inside, he had always been hurting. But it felt like his heart was healing, as silly as it sounded to him. It wasn't exactly logical, but her comfort made him feel better. More human, cared about. Loved even. The constant stream of murmured words calmed him, his tears slowing and fading. He blinked rapidly, trying to fight sleep. But he lost that battle, snuggling against _his_ professor and closing his eyes.

Alexis glanced down at the child, smiling softly. He was sound asleep on her lap and she really did not want to wake him. With a quick decision, her wand was in her hand and a Patronus cast. Several minutes later, two men entered the old classroom, eyes landing on her gently rocking the sleeping child.

Charlie bit back a grin, glancing at the contemplative Tim, before moving quietly to the pair on the floor. He crouched, helping Alexis to shift the child into his arms before standing and heading back to the camp rooms. He was just relieved to have found the boy. His eyes had taken in the scabbed leg and the knife on the floor, he knew what had happened there. Now it was time to tuck this child back into his bed and hope that he stayed asleep.

Tim reached a hand down to Alexis, pulling the stiff woman to her feet and steadying her. "I want full details...in the morning. Let's get you to bed." He remarked quietly, warm brown eyes watching the younger woman. She was staring after the disappearing back of Charlie and his small bundle.

"How long would it take to sever his father's ties?" She asked suddenly, gray eyes sparkling.

"With Lucius' help? Two weeks. Why?" Tim asked, frowning slightly. He could almost see the wheels in her head turning. Something had happened between the two of them, he was just not sure what.

Alexis shrugged, turning and vanishing the knife that still laid on the floor. He had to be her ward before she could do anything else, she knew. But just the thought of that small, brown-haired boy made her heart warm. He was a quiet, intelligent, witty child. Most just could never see past the hard outer shell. She wanted to pull back the edges, to help her child heal. "I wish to adopt him." She turned gray eyes back to Tim, raising an eyebrow at him.

The older man just grinned, squeezing her shoulder as he led her back to her own rooms. That sounded like a grand idea, indeed.

-x-


	10. Rooms to Heal

A/N: Do not own. _I know, I know. You waited a month and I give you something less than 5k. I try, I try. But this chapter is interesting, I promise! Thanks go to rowanlyn-mirrim for the room idea. Harry is here, as is Alexis. Enjoy and use your words! Also, x's are scene breaks! Italics are usually thoughts! More author note at the end!  
_

-x-  
Harry sighed, kicking his feet against the armchair. He hadn't seen Teddy today, which was bothering him a lot. Teddy had not been in the cabin this morning, nor at breakfast. The other boy was probably fine, at some silly activity or another. But he was worried. He had seen Teddy leave last night, but he figured his friend wanted time alone, just like he did. It did not help that he was now at his scheduled appointment with Tim, although he'd rather be here than playing football. Football was just..uck.

Tim surveyed the silent child for a moment longer, stifling a sigh of his own. Working with abused children was not an easy task, especially when they often refused to say anything on their own. "Harry? What's on your mind?" He questioned finally. They had been here for ten minutes and Harry had not said anything so far. It looked like it was going to be a long day already, and it wasn't even noon yet!

Harry shrugged, stilling his feet briefly. He glanced up at the healer, being careful to not meet his eyes. He did remember his uncle's rules, after all. Even if the healer was constantly asking him to look at him, he couldn't really want him to. After all, who would want to look at a freak? But Tim had said he wasn't a freak, as had his guardians, so didn't that mean something? He didn't think they would lie to him, but he knew he couldn't believe them. Not yet. "Where's Teddy?" He asked suddenly, resuming his battering of the chair. It wasn't his fault that his feet did not touch the floor.

"Teddy was taken to the infirmary this morning, he will be alright and should be back to camp in no time. He just wasn't feeling well." Tim replied quietly, sighing softly. Teddy would be fine, eventually. Charlie had taken the child to the infirmary when the boy's leg started bleeding in his sleep, a few hours after they had found him. He had run tests on the child and discovered the cause, it was merely a precaution that the boy was still in the infirmary. "Do you enjoy being with Teddy, Harry?"

Harry frowned, staring at his trainers for a moment. Teddy was sick? That wasn't good. He liked Teddy, the mousy brown-eyed boy was more fun to play with than their peers. The other kids didn't seem to get it, to understand that they were the unwanted ones, that no one cared about the camp kids. But Teddy did and he could talk honestly with Teddy. For the other boy would keep his secrets, just as he would keep Teddy's. "I like Teddy. He doesn't push." He shrugged finally, glancing up at the older man.

Ah, so perhaps he pushed then? Or someone else pushed Harry to talk, like the group therapy sessions the counselors held every evening. He knew it was tough for some of these children to talk about their lives and it was unsettling how much these children did not know about life. Many of the Muggleborns knew very little about Wizarding society, even magical games and toys. Some of these children had no idea what to do with themselves, now that they were not escaping punishment or protecting siblings or worrying about the next fist or harsh word. Or worst. But sometimes these children needed a bit of a push to talk, it was his duty to heal minds. Tim was well aware that talking helped greatly in that. After all, he had not started as a mind healer, but as a patient, years ago. "Could you tell me more about Teddy, Harry? About why you like him?" He questioned finally, smiling at the child.

Harry hesitated for a moment, stilling his feet briefly. He would keep Teddy's secrets but did that mean he couldn't say his own reasons for liking Teddy? Without revealing his own secrets of course. He wasn't quite sure. He had friends before Teddy, well two or three anyway. But he didn't _trust _Ron to keep all his secrets, he hadn't even heard from the boy yet this summer! Perhaps talking about Teddy wouldn't be a bad thing, it would keep the healer from asking about him, anyway. He didn't want to think about Uncle or any of that. Ever, if he could. But they always wanted him to talk about it and he just didn't want to. It wasn't a big deal, after all. He was a freak and his uncle had treated him as freaks were suppose to be treated. It was the adults here that were confused, they needed help. Not him. He sighed, wishing Professor Severus had not gotten his fringe cut, he missed hiding beneath it. "Erm well...He's nice and he taught me how to play Dragons. He gets needing space and he's just...different than the others. He's not a kid, like they are. He's like me and Karrie." Harry shrugged finally, looking up. Karrie was part of one of their 'talking' groups. She was their age, unlike the others, and she didn't act like a kid, like the others did. She got it too, that they were unwanted.

Tim kept his face calm but he knew his eyes showed that spark of sadness. Teddy, Harry, and Karrie...the three youngest members of the "E" group, the extreme abuse, in any and all forms. Two of the preteens had suffered sexual abuse, that they knew of; all three had suffered from emotional and physical abuse, as well as neglect. All three practiced varying forms and degrees of self harm. He knew that the three children might have trouble connecting with the others their age; he would never have guessed that the three children saw the others as children but not themselves. Or perhaps, if he thought about it, he might have eventually come to that conclusion. It was just disconcerting to hear it from the mouth of a child. "I am glad that you like Teddy, and that you are able to talk to Teddy. Now Harry, as we are running out of time, I wanted to talk to you about the running. I know it doesn't always occur to you to tell someone first, and that is alright sometimes. However, I spoke with the Headmistress, as well as your guardians and counselors, and we found a way to make it easier for you. You told me yesterday that you sometimes run because you need space?" Tim remarked finally, glancing at the clock. He did have something pressing to tell, and show, Harry after all. Even if he would rather just let the child talk, when he was talking, instead of changing the subject.

Harry merely nodded, folding his arms and scowling. He didn't want another lecture about this, although Tim hadn't really lectured him about it. The healer had only asked why he took off so often. He needed space, it was true. But sometimes he was angry or upset and it just helped to be alone.

"The Headmistress asked and the castle designed a room specifically for you, so that you can have a safe place to go when you need space or when you are upset and just need a few minutes to collect your thoughts. That doesn't mean one of your counselors, including me, or your guardians will not come talk to you there, but we will all give you time to be alone. I just ask, however, that if you do take off, that you go to this room, instead of running blindly. Could you do that for me, Harry?" Tim explained quietly, watching the child closely. His reaction, what little of it made it past the mask, was better than expected. The child did not appear angry, at least.

Harry forced his face to stay bland, even if he was a bit weary of this. Perhaps this room would be a good thing, if it gave him a place to go. But he wasn't sure if he wanted adults checking in on him whenever they pleased. "Yes sir." He responded dryly, staring back at his trainers.

"Would you like to see your safe space, Harry?" Tim asked, biting back a smile at the rapid nod. He stood, moving slowly toward the door and opening it. "This way please." Harry followed him out of the room and down the hallway. His office was on the fourth floor, as was this new room. Or rooms, rather. Alexis had asked for one for each of their three runners and a few empty rooms that they could customize for other children if necessary. All of the rooms were warded against self harm and each had a charm that would allow the relevant counselors to know when their charge was in their safe room, as the charm would cause a pendant the counselors wore to heat up. The hallway of rooms was only two hallways away, but far enough that the children would hopefully feel like they had space away from their healers. Tim stopped in the hallway of once unused rooms, locating the second door to the right. "Here you go, Harry." He opened the door and stepped inside, gesturing for the boy to follow. He was well aware that the child would not like it if he was behind him; blows often came from behind after all.

Harry stepped into the room and gasped. It was different from his bedroom, of course, but it was a large room with muted colours on the walls and a thick plush carpet. There was a brown couch and armchairs, as well as a low table. There was also a bookcase filled with books and a desk that held art and writing supplies. There was a punching bag hanging from the ceiling in one corner and a door on the opposite wall. The room just felt so...safe but also a bit overwhelming.

The child looked overwhelmed and he knew that the room was a bit busy at first glance, but that was the wonders of magic. "The room can be changed Harry, so that you feel safe here. The idea was that there would be books if you needed to escape into somewhere else as well as art and writing supplies so that you could calm yourself by expressing your feelings on paper. Do you think that you might be able to use this room when you need space? Or would you like us to change it?"

Green eyes darted everywhere as he slowly explored the room. A glance in the other doorway revealed a simple loo, which was a brilliant idea actually. That way he wouldn't have to try to find a nearby loo if he needed one. He really did like the room, he could feel the wards here and the magic. It was so welcoming and the overwhelming feeling had disappeared. He knew Hogwarts' had made this room for him, he could feel it, just as he could feel the headmistress' magic in the room. "Yes sir. I..can use it." Harry grinned, finally turning to look at Tim. The healer merely smiled in response, leaning back against the wall to allow him to explore for a bit longer.

-x-

Alexis paced the length of her office, glancing occasionally out the window. The windows in her quarters, and the view from the Head's walkway, showed much more than this, but at least she could see the front of the castle from here, in case unwanted guests arrived. Not that she was worried about that, as she had recently strengthened the wards with the help of her Heads of Houses. No, right now she was more worried about her students, her children. The one she had just seen in the infirmary, before they released him back to camp, for one. But she was equally worried about her other wards. Nineteen children in her care, with her as their acting guardian. It was a bit...overwhelming at times. She sighed, turning gray eyes to the floo as it went off. She smiled at the floating head in her fireplace, gesturing for him to come through. A moment later and she stopped pacing as the older wizard stepped out of the floo. "Welcome, Lucius."

Lucius Malfoy turned critical eyes on the Headmistress' office for a brief moment before turning to greet her properly. The office was much neater and more proper than Dumbledore's had ever been, although there were stacks of parchment littered everywhere. "Alexis, my dear. A pleasure as always." Many annoying gossips always questioned if they were related and Alexis had merely been discarded from the family, but even if their eyes were similar in colour, they were not blood kin It was true that few people had gray eyes, but his were a shade darker than her's; also, she was not a blond. Nor would he had discarded such a woman from his family. He was quite glad that Severus had introduced them a few years back, she was a smart, talented witch; a powerful one. His lips quirked into a small smile, as he settled into the armchair she indicated. "I must offer my congratulations on your adoption." He drawled, forcing down a grin when she scowled briefly, before her own mask was firmly in place. For those who rarely let down their masks, it was difficult, even in the presence of friends, to just react without hiding emotions.

"Severus?"

"No. Filius." Lucius drawled, eyes taking in the appearance of the young woman. He knew from the bit of information that he managed to gain from Severus that Alexis was not at her best, health wise. He could not, however, see through glamours. It had not been a necessary skill when he was a foolish youth.

"Old man is a gossip." Alexis muttered, sorting through her piles of paperwork quickly, before removing two sheets of parchment. "You will be at the ceremony, yes? Filius has promised to keep it small..." She trailed off, glancing up at him. Lucius was much like an old friend, even if she had only known him for a few years. She had known his wife for much longer, as they had met in her home country, before Dumbledore called in his 'favour'. She studied the older man for a moment, before holding the parchment out to him.

"Narcissa and I would be honoured to." Lucius responded, accepting the parchment with a small frown. He scanned the first sheet, before reaching for a quill. He grimaced, frowning at one clause and quickly scratching it off with his quill. He added another clause and signed his name at the bottom. "Bain's paperwork should not take long to go through, as he has no one to claim him. As you know, it is a six month wait from guardianship to officially adopt; however, due to Bain's age, he is magically an adult, but not capable of supporting himself. At most, it should take two months for him to become yours. You have discussed this with him?" He stated after several minutes of silence, in his business mode. This was, after all, the reason he had come to Hogwarts today.

"I have. He has signed the other forms and will undergo the proper adoption ceremony." Alexis drawled, biting down a grin at the shock in the eyes that so closely mirrored hers. She would not just legally adopted Bain, but offer the child a permanent home and family through an official adoption ritual, which would make him of her blood. It was the same ceremony that Filius was doing for her and Severus. Lucius did not surprise her as he once did, but she knew she still surprised him. The older man had turned away from the past dark lord after the supposed end of the first war, out of choice. He made a mistake and he spent years working his way back into society's good graces. He had also gained a university education and legal certification. He was a child advocate, though Narcissa often told her that he had too big of a heart to deal directly with the children. He handled adoption cases and often represented a child's interest in court cases. He was by no means a social worker, but he used his political power to save children like those of his friends, as he tried to have laws rewritten to protect children of all blood statuses and races. A child was a child, it did not matter who their parents were.

"I see. That is quite the development. I have made a few minor changes to some of these clauses, which you should look over, but everything else is in order here. Now, what is that?" Lucius remarked finally, finding his voice once more. He had a feeling that he would be filing quite a few applications for adoption this summer. He did have one he needed to bring to her attention, though. But it could wait for the moment being.

Alexis took the paper and read it quickly, before nodding and handing it back to him. Lucius vanished it to his office so that he could file in later, turning impatient gray eyes to meet suddenly stony gray eyes. "This is an application to terminate guardianship." She purred.

Lucius forced down a shudder; he would not want to be that child's parents, if the tone she used was anything to go by. "Who is the child?"

"Theodore Nott."

Ah. The child was a pure blood though, which often made it difficult to wrestle custody away from their parents. His father, however, had done heinous things to the boy, so it might not be as complicated. "I take it you have documentation of his injuries?" Lucius questioned, accepting that parchment. He glanced over it, signed the bottom and vanished it to his office. He would file it immediately upon returning.

Alexis silently removed the boy's file from her desk, tapping it with her wand to duplicated it. She passed the duplicate to Lucius, before returning the original to her desk.

Lucius rifled through the file for a moment, before finding the healer's reports and official medical scans, as well as a few notes from the child's mind healer. He read through the medical report, paling slightly. He had known, of course, when Teddy was removed from his home, that it was bad. And he knew from brief conversations with Severus and Alexis some of what the child had suffered. The child had never told anyone, even though he often spent a week during the summer at the Manor with Draco. He had know that Theodore Senior was not a very pleasant man, but he had not thought that the man would abuse his own son. Especially not this horrifically. He set aside the medical scans, glancing at the notes from the mindhealer. He blanched suddenly, looking up at Alexis.

"Killing him will not help Teddy, Lucius. I have thought about it, but I have kept my staff from killing nearly fifty sets of guardians, as I have contained myself. Teddy's is not, sadly, our worse case, as you know. But his guardianship needs to be terminated, if for nothing other than Teddy's peace of mind."Alexis stated softly, watching the man with understanding. It never did get easier.

He drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair for a moment, snapping the file closed. "I will give this to his social worker. His guardianship will be terminated as soon as possible. He will need a guardian, though." He remarked finally, forcing his mind to calm.

"I plan to adopt him, if he agrees."Alexis replied quietly. If Lucius was shocked, he hid it well.

"I do have one more order of business, Alexis." He sighed, vanishing the file back to his office. If he could get his hands on that man...but it would be easier to let his crimes slip. The sane prisoners, in the lower levels of Azkaban, were not keen on child abusers, of any form. Much like muggle prisoners...he'd be dead in a week. Hm, that was food for thought. But later, for this piece of information would not go over well. At her raised eyebrow, he elaborated. "A family has filed for adoption of Mr. Potter."

She blinked, gray eyes turning to hard stones. "I'm sorry, what?"

"After Dumbledore's death was published last week, a family placed an application to adopt Mr. Potter. How they thought they would remove him from his biological family without contesting that guardianship is beyond me, but they are petitioning to take the child. I have stalled all such attempts, as the social worker and I agree that Mr. Potter is with a family that will take care of his needs physically, mentally, and emotionally. I have not spoken to Severus or Remus about this, yet. The family has no reason to contest their guardianship, nor can they adopt the child without six months of guardianship. They already have a large brood, so the courts are very likely to deny them either way." Lucius scowled, resting his head in his hand for a moment. This recent rush of cases was overwhelming for the child welfare offices, which meant him as he was one of the major advocates. So he was tired, and he knew her response would not be pleasant.

"I see. Who is this...family?" Alexis sneered.

He grimaced, shaking his head. Technically, it was a breach of privacy. But she was the child's Headmistress, so she was entitled to information that might affect the child's emotional state while he was under her care. And since the child in question was currently in the school and she was not likely to tell anyone, he felt no reason to not tell her. "The Weasley clan." He had not expected the muttered curse that followed, however.

"Of course. Mrs. Weasley recently sent me a...howler, informing me that a...witch of my upbringing had no business running a school and that she was seriously considering withdrawing her five brats." Alexis hissed, magic crackling along her skin. She had burnt the howler immediately, considering it complete rubbish. After speaking with Tim and Filius, separately, she knew that the Weasley matriarch was a force onto herself. Of course, she had already known the name Weasley, after all she had spent a year in Romania as a mind healer for the dragon riders and handlers, while their healer was on leave. The Weasley she had met was a nice young fellow, with anger issues. Apparently, he got those from his mother.

Lucius blinked, mouth twitching. He was a pure blood aristocrat, he did not gap like a fish.. But it was a just thing. "Your _upbringing_? The woman does not even know you, she cannot judge you unfit to take over Hogwarts. Nor could she fight with the legitimacy of the wards accepting you, as well as the approval of the board of governors." He growled, regaining his control. The Weasley woman had always been a bit of an annoyance, but surely she would not withdraw her children over the castle's choice of headmistress, especially after all of the damage Dumbledore had done to Hogwarts!

Alexis sighed, gray eyes softening slightly. There was so much work to do; people like that Weasley woman just made her life harder. "I believe she thinks I practice 'dark' magic. Apparently, she missed the lesson that magic is neither light nor dark. It is the intent behind it. Perhaps it is also the addition of new courses. Gods forbid that our children actually know how to read and write; know more than basic maths and have a thorough understanding of the world around them." She scowled, staring at the cup of tea that appeared on her desk. She took a deep breath, slowly sipping the tea. That was her elf's way of telling her to calm down. Or that she forgot to eat, but that had been happening with less frequency lately.

Lucius snorted, not bothering to hide his opinion on the matter. Alexis? Dark? That would be a cold day in hell! Only here, under the British fool of a Minister, was magic polarized into Light and Dark. On the continent, especially where Alexis hailed from, magic was a force that was honoured, not taken for granted. It was neither light or dark, but shaped through the users intent. He had seen one of the worst cutting curses used in a _kitchen _by a _chef_. The intent had not been dark, so his use of the spell did not make it _dark_. But he also knew that confusing notion had not been taught at Hogwarts. "It is her lost." He shrugged, standing stiffly. He had been sitting for too long that day, he knew.

"No. It is her children who will lose. Thank you for the help, Lucius." Alexis stated quietly, standing as well. She stepped around the desk, smiling slightly for a moment. "You will visit soon, yes?"

"But of course. It had been a pleasure, as always my dear. I will take care of these cases and let you know as soon as I know something." Lucius replied silkily, before dropping the bland mask to smile at the young woman. He stepped forward and embraced her for a moment, before stepping out of the hug and into the floo. "I look forward to a time for tea that does not involve business." He added, disappearing in a flash of green fire.

She sighed, brushing black stands away from her face. Things to do, things to do. She had a school to organize, a camp to watch over, students to tend to and care for. So much to do, so little time. And she knew one of her counselors was ignoring her orders... One day without problems, tantrums, fights, or break downs, one day. Was that too much to ask? Clearly, it was.

_A/N: Yes, I am evil. We have already established that point a few chapters back...Now, in case you were wondering, Teddy's illness will be discussed next chapter. I swear it will. Weasleys are not necessarily bad here, nor is this Weasley bashing exactly...but I can't promise that Harry will remain friends with Ron. After all, he sees Ron as a child, but not himself. _


	11. Understanding

A/N: Do not own._ So...you get a chapter instead of me sleeping. Or updating my other stories. But for thos of you who read them, they will be updated soon. There is a bit of sexual slurs in here, but I tried to keep it PG-ish. (You try keeping slurs PG, see how hard it is!) These come from the mouth of a bully and were necessary. So you get twoish scenes(one could be several scenes but it is passed my bedtime so...) A Teddy and Harry scene, where we finally hear of Teddy's illness, and an Alexis and Charlie seen. Enjoy! Italics are often thoughts, x's are scene breaks! As always, use your words._

_-x-_

"Hey Harry." Teddy stopped a few feet behind the boy, speaking a bit louder so not to startle him. He did, after all, know how it felt.

"Teddy! You okay? What happened?" Harry spun around, green eyes betraying his worry.

Teddy hesitated, glancing around the camp lounge. It was their free period, just after lunch, and Charlie had retrieved him from the hospital wing, with strict instructions from the annoying mediwitch. He liked Alexis better, she didn't nag him or treat him like a child. Nor did she talk about him like he wasn't there. The Headmistress had come to check on him, after Tim had run his scans. With his leg now bandaged and strict orders to not pick at it or mess with it, he was free. Just not quite happy. "I'm okay. Not here, Harry." He muttered finally.

Harry nodded immediately, understanding exactly what the other boy meant. There were too many children around, too many people in general. For a boy as private as Teddy, it was not a place to share something, even something simple. "The bunks, then?" He questioned, nodding to their room.

"All right." Teddy turned toward their cabin, frowning at the older boy who stepped in front of them. He glanced at Harry, subtly gripping his wand and giving a slight nod when the messy-haired boy closed the space between them, so that they were standing side to side. His brown eyes quickly took in the room, locate three counselors automatically. Severus had taught the Slytherins that adults could be quite helpful in breaking up fights, not that this would become a fight. He knew at least two of the adults were watching them intently now. Teddy stepped to the side, trying to step around the older, blond boy. But the bigger boy blocked him, glaring down at him.

"If it isn't the batty boy and his brownie. Tossers, you two." Derek sneered, blue eyes narrowing on his two victims. It wasn't that they had done anything to him, of course, but they were there and they acted like such _fairies. _ It was against what his father had thought him and that made it Wrong. It didn't even matter that they were younger than him, they were just...there.

Harry tensed, moving slightly closer to Teddy while mentally loosening his wand from his holder. Not that he would use it if he didn't have to. But it was best to be prepared. He wasn't even quite sure what the older boy had said, but he had heard his uncle say similar things about two men once. A couple like his guardians. So he knew it couldn't be a good thing.

Teddy, quite unlike his friend, knew exactly what the boy meant. He also realized that the boy was a muggle born, as such bigotry was not usually found in Wizarding society. It stung to hear those words referring to his and Harry's friendship, but it was just a friendship...Or perhaps a brother-ship? Harry was almost like a brother to him after all. If nothing else, he was one of his best friends. He took a deep breath, forcing his temper down. They could not rise to his bait. He knew that, logically. So he wouldn't. "And? Excuse us." He shrugged, raising an eyebrow and trying to move around the boy once more.

Derek, however, was not going to accept that. They could not just ignore him! No one was supposed to ignore him when he was like this! Were they? He didn't ignore his father when he said such things, especially since words were usually accompanied by fists. And not listening would earn him a beating. He was angry, but he wasn't quite sure why. He didn't really have a right to be angry, did he? Wasn't Henry always telling him that he couldn't just lash out at people? But he wasn't. Was he? Derek growled, confusion evident in his eyes. Without thinking, he did the one thing that he hadn't really been planning to. He shoved Teddy, hard, causing the boy to stumble backwards and two wands to instantly be pointed at his chest.

"Enough!" Charlie growled, finally reaching the small group of boys. He had heard the conservation, the little of it there had been and had been on his way to put a stop to it anyway. He had paused briefly to share a quiet word with Henry, knowing that he had two preteens to calm and he really did not have the patience for the fifteen year old bully. He had turned his back for one second and it had become physical. Grand, just...grand. The three boys had frozen, stiffening, at his tone, but the wands were not lowered.

Harry suppressed a flinch, eyes darting from Derek to Charlie. He wasn't quite sure whether Charlie was angry at them or not, but he suspected that he was. After all, they were just trouble.

Charlie eyed each boy for a moment, before looking at Teddy and raising an eyebrow. The boy finally, slowly, lower his wand, but he made no move to return it to its holster. He then turned to Derek, frowning at the older teen. "They are younger than you, Derek. You should be setting a good example, not acting like a bully. To Henry with you, I am too frustrated to deal with you." He bit out finally.

Derek grimaced, staring at his feet. He felt...ashamed. It was an odd feeling and he did not like it, not one bit. He knew that if Charlie was angry, he must have done something bad. He just wasn't quite sure what yet. He turned his eyes toward Henry, who was beckoning to him, and sighed. Time to go see what his consequences would be this time.

Charlie sighed, looking down at the two preteens for a moment, before crouching to their levels. "Boys." He murmured softly, quickly raising a silencing spell around the three of them. Two sets of eyes looked up at him, staring out from blank masks. But there was fear there, and uncertainty. Teddy's brown eyes also held anger, but he knew it was not directed at him.

Harry looked up when the anger suddenly disappeared from Charlie's voice. He frowned slightly, feeling magic surround them. It felt like Charlie and it felt almost like a hug for a fleeting moment, before it settled in a circle around them. Somehow he knew it would not harm them, but that it was a good spell. He glanced at Teddy, relaxing slightly when he say the other boy relax. Teddy was his friend and he also trusted Charlie. He knew, logically, that even if Charlie was angry, he wouldn't hurt them. Not really.

He surveyed the two children for a moment, trying to figure out a way to make this better. But bullying was not always an easy problem to solve and the older boy had said some nasty things, things he was not sure the younger two had completely understood. But from the look in Teddy's eyes, at least one of the boys knew what he had meant. "Boys, I am not angry at you. You did nothing wrong. You tried to avoid the situation entirely, and for that, I am proud of both of you. What Derek said was wrong and cruel. He should not have said such things. He is a bully and you two are the better men for trying to ignore him, and then standing your ground when it became necessary." Charlie finished softly, smiling briefly at the two boys. He really was proud of them. He bit back a sigh, eyes settling on Teddy. The child was pale still, but a quick glance at his watch showed that it was not time for the child to check his blood sugar just yet. Which was a bit worrying, actually.

Harry frowned, a bit confused. Charlie was proud of them? Adults were never proud of them, of him especially. Well...Remus and Severus acted like it sometimes, but they were just pretending, right? Because that's what adults did, they pretended to be proud and then smacked you one when your guard was down. But Charlie wasn't lying, he wasn't sure how he knew but he just did. It felt..odd to have someone proud of them. For doing _nothing_ too. Huh.

Teddy grimaced suddenly, fighting down the wave of dizziness. _Not here, please not here. _"Erm Charlie? Could we please move to the bunks? I don't feel well." He scowled at the floor, his cheeks reddening slightly before it vanished beneath his mask. He would never admit it to anyone, except perhaps to Harry, but he was scared of this new...disease? It wasn't even something that could be healed with magic. He knew that one of his yearmates, and some of the older years as well, had Asthma, but this wasn't _asthma_ and asthma seemed scary, when they stopped breathing. This was scarier. He had even less control over his body now and he hated it. But Tim and Alexis had spent a good while with him, talking to him about it and explaining how they would treat it. Charlie, Tim, or Alexis would help him with it for a while, until he felt comfortable handling it on his own, and they would remind him when it was time to take his medicine or test his sugar if he forgot, not that he planned to forget. He was quite responsible for an almost thirteen year old. More than more of these _children_ anyway.

"Of course we can, Teddy." Charlie straighten instantly, understanding the boy's phrasing quite well. The child might not want any of the other children to know, but all the relevant adults have been or would be informed. After all, it wouldn't do for the child to faint or get severely sick because an adult didn't know what to do in case of an emergency. He canceled the silencing spell with a wave of his hand, stepping toward the 'cabins'. If nothing else, he could pull the two boys into his and Phil's room, since he knew that both Phil and Bain, who had asked to stay with them, were out with other students.

Harry hesitated, glancing at his friend. Teddy was really pale and sweating, something was wrong, he knew. Hadn't Teddy already hinted at that, before Derek stopped them from going to the bunks? He frowned slightly, green eyes filled with worry, following his best friend and Charlie quickly into the bunks.

Teddy grimaced, glancing around the brightly lit messy room. Some of the boys were such slobs and even though Phil and Charlie made them clean up after themselves, the other boys seemed to mess up the room by merely walking into it. There were two other boys there, which he didn't really want right now. He didn't want anyone to know but Harry. But waking the thirteen year old who had trouble sleeping at night, like he did, was not something he could do either. The other twelve-year-old boy, a Hufflepuff, looked up at them for a moment before turning back to his book. Charlie had paused for a moment, before continuing to the back of the room, to a door on the left, opposite that of the loo. He followed at the man's beckoning glance, nodding at Harry to follow. The counselors' room was a bit different from theirs, with three curtained beds instead of bunk beds,as well as desks and wardrobes. It was a bit plain, but it had a homey feeling.

Charlie glanced around the room for a moment, before finally settling his gaze on his own bed. That would have to do, although the bed was nearly as tall as the boy. "Alright Teddy. Why don't you sit down on this bed here for a moment?" He requested, nodding to his bed before conjuring a small armchair for Harry. "You may sit in the chair if you like, Harry." He added quietly, turning his gaze briefly to the small, worried green-eyed child. This was not, perhaps, how Teddy had planned on his friend finding out but sometimes things just happened.

Teddy frowned, staring at the bed for a long moment. He understood Charlie's reasoning, of course, but he wasn't quite sure he could get onto that bed without jumping...and he wasn't sure that jumping was a good idea right now, as he was standing still and very dizzy. He grimaced, turning his eyes to meet Charlie's for a moment. "I...can't. Could you...help me?" He muttered finally, glaring at the floor. Alexis had told him, repeatedly, that there was no shame in asking for help when he needed it, and that he might need help for a bit, until he was used to this illness of his.

Charlie blinked before smiling slightly at the frustrated child. "Of course." He moved slowly, gentle hands wrapping around the boy's torso before lifting him securely up onto the high bed. It was a good step, that Teddy was finally starting to recognize his limits and ask for help. He let the boy settle for a moment before sitting down beside him and holding out his hand. "Why don't you explain to Harry what's happening?" He suggested softly, tapping his wand to the index finger of the small hand now resting on his much larger palm.

Harry tracked the two with his eyes, scowling slightly. He was so confused. Teddy never asked an adult for help, ever. The slightly older boy hadn't even accepted his help in climbing on the castle's walls. Teddy was stubborn, he had just kept trying until he managed to get on top of the wall, even though he had scraped his knee. But Teddy had said that he bruised easily, so it didn't matter. It did matter, to him at least. Maybe his friend was really sick...he wasn't sure he could handle losing Teddy. Not at all.

He nodded, turning his brown eyes to meet green, instead of watching Charlie's movements. It didn't hurt, but he really did not like it. "It's alright Harry. I'm gonna be okay, Tim said. I just..I have diabetes. It's well...I don't know how to explain it." Teddy scowled, eyebrows knitting together. How did he explain that his body didn't make enough...insulin? He hadn't even heard of the illness until this morning. Tim had explained that while type 2 Diabetes was uncommon in wizards, Juvenile diabetes, what he had, was as common in wizards as in muggles. But he didn't know anyone who had it and that made it seem frightening, although he was a Slytherin and Slytherins did not become frighten, especially of a dumb sickness.

Harry frowned, running the word through his thoughts for a few moments. _Oh. _"That's what Uncle has. And this girl at primary school, but hers was different from uncle's. Uncle got it 'cause he was fat. But Elizabeth's body stopped making the stuff that absorbs sugar and she had to have these shots every day and stick her finger. Do wizards stick their fingers?" He asked absently, before blinking. He had called Uncle fat. Badbad_bad._ He slammed his hand into his head, repeating the action quickly.

"Harry! Put your hands on your lap please." Charlie frowned, glancing up from the results of the quick scan. He waited until the child had obeyed, before rummaging in his pocket. "Wizards have created a few spells so that they would not have to 'stick' their fingers." He added absently, finding the potion's vial he wanted. Teddy's blood sugar was low, too low for his comfort.

Teddy sighed, turning to look at Charlie, since the man had long released his hand. He grimaced at the potion, knowing that whining would not help and he did not typically whine. But it was the principal of the matter. "I just had one, a few hours ago Charlie." He stated finally, in a bit of protest. It tasted god awful and he really didn't want to have it again so soon. Granted, he had been given one at breakfast and Madam Pomferry had released him at lunch without another one...Not that he needed one, even though he probably did. Alexis had said that he would probably be taking two or three of the potions a day, hopefully they would work. He really didn't want to have the insulin shots. He hated needles.

Charlie raised an eyebrow at the child, silently holding out the potion. He knew that the boy was only being stubborn because he felt he had to be, it was almost...endearing to hear this child whine like a normal child would. The poor boy had enough on his plate without this but there was nothing they could do except treat it. Wizards and witches lived happy, long lives with diabetes; it would just take time to make Teddy's more manageable and to calm the child's fears. A wizard's body was much different from that of a muggle's. His magic would help balance the equation, it would keep him alive if necessary. But wizards also used more energy than muggles, so they needed to intake more energy. The child was too skinny, from years of living with only his father, a man who disdained and abused the boy. They were working on getting him to eat more, which would help balance his sugar, and helping the child realize that there was no shame or weakness in needing a bit of help. Both would help greatly in this battle. As long as the stubborn, usually solitary child did not decide to push them on this. He already knew that Tim and Alexis would be quite unhappy if the child started refusing the potions. As would he, as Charlie had come to care greatly for his boys, especially this two little people, who remained him so much of himself when he was younger. Not that he had ever been that _small_.

Teddy scowled, finally taking the potion and downing it with a grimace. He _hated_ it. It tasted so nasty. Maybe Professor Snape could make it better? If he could, he'd be much more willing to take it. He didn't want to be sick, after all. He liked having control over his body, so controlling this disease was his new goal. He sighed, turning back to Harry. "I have to sit here for a bit, so that it takes hold and I don't throw up."

Harry merely nodded, getting up and moving over to the bed when Charlie stood. The man looked pointedly at the bed, but he shook his head. He could climb up on it without help.

Charlie merely shrugged, going to do work at his desk, so that he could keep an eye on the boys while giving them some privacy. He watched Harry out of the corner of his eye, gaping when the child merely jumped and floated up onto the bed. _Damn. Either Harry can fly or...his magic is growing. _

Harry grinned at Teddy, bouncing down on the bed. He had not realized that he could do that, but it was so _easy_. He just bend the magic in the air to be under him, so that he wouldn't crash down. He could see it, glimmers of magic here and there. It was very dim at the moment and very brief, but he could feel the constant hum of magic. It was nice.

-x-

This was...frustrating. Irritating? Either way, it was trying her patience. Did this people think that she had nothing else to do besides responding to their owls all day? It wasn't like she had a school to rehabilitate or a summer camp to run. There was no staff to over see or students to care for, no appointments with said staff and students to hold or plan for. Clearly, these..people believed that she did not. Perhaps if they had to spent an hour with a child, explaining to them why their parents were not fit guardians and why their guardianship had now been passed to the school, as well as another hour to calm that child down and a third hour to calm herself down, maybe they would be more considerate...or at least stop sending her damn howlers. Howlers for taking over Hogwarts, howlers for not _responding_ to their letters fast enough, howlers for being non-British. The worst, of course, were not the howlers, but the owls that brought the signed terminated guardianship forms, in a bittersweet way. Alexis sighed, glancing up from the most recent letter from a _concerned_ parent at the knock on her door. This was her open office hours, so to speak. Perhaps that was why she waited so long to read this post, so that she'd have an excuse for opening it and then forgetting about it, or incendio-ing it, whichever was more beneficial for her. The incendio-ing held much promise of stress relief. "Komm."

Charlie hesitated before shrugged and pushing the door open. Blues eyes scanned the room, an old habit that was very handy with the children, before returning to the Headmistress. The woman still looked bad under the glamours but he could see health returning to her slowly. He saw it in his children too, every day, as their bodies adjusted to regular meals, positive attention and care.

"Charlie. Was brauchst du?" She asked absently, incendio-ing the letter with a snap of her fingers.

"Is now a bad time, Alexis?" Charlie asked quietly, studying the woman. She did look stressed, but he also knew that came with the job. He wasn't sure if her automatic use of German meant that she was angry or upset, or if it merely meant that she wasn't paying attention.

Alexis blinked, turning gray eyes to meet blue. Her mind had been elsewhere, with these howlers and nasty posts, instead of focusing on this young man. She spoke her native language rarely at Hogwarts, unless she was speaking privately with Tim and it was easier to phrase it in her language. She had slipped a few times in the last three years, of course, but she usually did not. Ah well, she was merely human after all. "I'm sorry, Charlie. I was pre-occupied. Now is fine. Do you need something? Is everything and everyone alright?" She responded finally, gesturing toward a chair and watch the blond slowly sit down. Every movement of the man was slow and deliberate, but she had also seen him stop a fight before it could even begin this morning. She knew he moved slowly unconsciously, because he was used to working with children and teenagers who startled easily, as many of the camp children did. Because he was once a child much like them and he knew that sudden movements were unsettling and sometimes down right terrifying. If only she had a reason to make him talk to a mindhealer, but she did not. Although she knew Tim was trying to get Charlie to come to him on his own. Her students counselors needed counseling. But alas, that was how the world tended to work.

"All my boys were alright, last I checked. Teddy is having low sugar problems but he asked for my help and he was doing much better when I left him." Charlie shrugged, settling into the armchair. Somehow sitting in her office always made him feel like a naughty school boy who had been caught snogging in a broom cupboard again.

Alexis forced back a snort, knowing quite well that Charlie would not have left Teddy if the boy was not alright, unless an emergency came up. And then, only if Bain was nearby. The man was very protective of 'his' boys. She sighed, thinking of young Teddy. To be almost thirteen, severely abused and to suddenly find out he had diabetes...the child had more than enough on his plate, without this thrown on top. "Hopefully, his body will adjust well to the potions. Severus has set to brewing, and improving, a new batch. It has been nearly five years since this school has seen a diabetic child, so all the professors will need retraining. But everything should be alright. Gods willing." She murmured, thinking aloud.

"Hopefully, yes. Besides from a slight bullying issue, and trying to explain sexual slurs to two twelve year olds, I did discover something...interesting." Charlie remarked, causing gray eyes to immediately snap to his.

"Oh?"

"Harry. I think..his magic is growing. I know that children's magic strengthen and grows at puberty but this is different. The child levitated himself Alexis! On to a bed that is nearly four feet off the ground, without so much as a finger twitch. He stares at the walls seemingly at random and he blinks, constantly. It's almost like.." He trailed off, mind wandering back to Harry. The child always seemed to frown when magic was cast near him, to tense up briefly. The child constantly dismantled charms on his bed, the charms on the bathroom meant to prevent harm, alert charms...everything. It was quite unusual.

She sighed, drumming her fingers on her desk. If the child could see and feel magic, if he could manipulate it without thought...it was a rare gift. Not necessarily a gift for only powerful witches and wizards. She knew a hedge witch who could do the same, a woman with low power levels but the ability to see, feel, and channel magic. Much like herself. The hedge witch had taught her empathic magic until she had started her mastery and Tim had found her. Natural empathic magic was rare in Britain and Scotland, she knew. It was not exactly common on the continent, but it was easier to find a teacher there. Touch Healers and most Potion Masters used empathic magic in their work, but it was only after years of learning to feel and sense magic. True empaths did not have to learn to feel, sense, or see magic. They did it naturally. And were often taunted and viewed as outcasts for an ability that many considered both weak and frightening. After all, does a powerful wizard really need to be able to _feel_ magic? Is it natural that a witch could shape magic, without a spell? To many, the answer would always be no. The pieces were falling in to place for her now. It made sense. In his essay, Harry had mentioned that he knew the wards would not drop them. The child was always tilting his head to the side, something she had done at that age. The child had been telling her that he could feel the magic, if not in those words. An empath...it would actually make quite a bit of sense. He would need a teacher though. Empathic magic unchecked could drive the user insane or cause a spectacular disaster. "Like he can see magic?" Alexis suggested finally, causing blue eyes to snap back to her.

"Precisely." Charlie shrugged, meeting her eyes for a moment before glancing away. It wasn't a bad thing but rather a gift. A gift that Harry would have to learn to control, a gift that needed training. And restrictions. Otherwise, the child would dismantle every charm and ward in this castle until Hogwarts fought back against it. The castle would only let so many wards be dismantled before She drained the wizard. He would know; he had tried when he was a teenager to remove certain wards surrounding a certain tower window. But he had used spells, not just shaping the magic at will. Of course if any of his charges tried to dismantle window charms, there would be problems. "He dismantled an anti self-harm ward in the loo last night. I'm not sure if he knew what the ward was for or if he just wanted to see if he could do it. But he needs...teaching, Alexis. I don't need him randomly taking apart wards. That could be...disastrous." He added quietly, turning back to look at her.

"I know he does. If he is truly empathic...there are few here who could teach him. Tim could if he was older, but he is too young to even think of channeling his magic that way." There was only one real solution and she knew it. She would have to talk to Severus and Remus, as well as test Harry's magic soon. "The only other Empath, that I aware of, is myself. We will work something out." She sighed, giving a slight nod. It would have to do. She would not have a child go through what she had. Not if she had a choice in the matter. "Is there anything else on your mind, Charlie?"

The younger man stiffened instantly. "No Headmistress." He responded automatically, before cursing himself for acting like a school boy hiding something. Her eyes had narrowed and she raised an eyebrow at him, leaning back in her chair. Damn woman. _Nothing is wrong. She didn't even ask that. Everything is fine. Good. Safe. Cared for. Loved._ His mantra was a little bitter lately, but it always helped. It kept him grounded.

"Charlie." Her tone was soft, gentle. One simple question and he was not just defensive, but he had completely shut down. She had merely wanted to make sure that that was indeed all he wanted to bring to her attention before dismissing him. "Talk to me, please."

He grimaced, averting his eyes. Nothing was wrong. Everything was fine. Except...he had almost lost his temper earlier. With Derek. But he hadn't. He would never become like that. He was fine, everything was fine. He was safe. _Safe._ Hogwarts was safe, Alexis was safe. He was fine. "There isn't really anything to talk about. I'm alright, Alexis. Just tired." He replied finally, looking back up at her. Eye contact, she was more likely to believe him if he looked at her. If he didn't blink or look away. If he smiled easily, as he did now. She'd let it go, because she had no other choice. Everything was fine.

"Be that as it may, you may always come to me, Charlie. If you need anything. Anything at all." Alexis sighed, she couldn't win here. If she pushed, he'd shut down. She could only hope that he would take her offer seriously. But she was not so sure. Charlie was, after all, quite good about avoiding things he did not want to talk about; with her, with the other counselors, even with the children.

He hesitated but gave a brief nod, standing. Before he left her office, however, he turned back to face her. "I will, Alexis. I will." He promised quietly, before heading back to his boys.

Alexis sighed, resting her head in her hands after casting a locking spell on her door. She needed a moment. Or several. So much to do, so little time. So many hearts and minds to heal...but she would do it. Because if not her, who?

_-x-_

_A/N. Teddy is diabetic. I know, I know, it isn't in the books. But I believe that wizards can get the same, or similar, dieseases as muggles. It is all genetics my dear. If Teddy doesn't seem diabetic to you, I tried. I live with two diabetics, but they are both type 2, not type 1. And there is a major difference. So, all medical knowledge here may not be accurate, but it is fiction. And it is my fiction. I hope you liked it. Please, use your words.  
_

_~Cas  
_


	12. Letters and Disagreements

A/N_- Do not own. Sorry this took so long! For those who read INOS and Saving Harry, I am trying to have the next chapter of each up by the end of December. Life gets in the way sometimes, so sorry for the wait. I hope this is worth it. Teddy receives some letters from his friends and we meet Karrie. The trio, Harry, Karrie, and Teddy, have a much needed moment of childishness. Phil and Charlie have their own problems and Alexis and Tim have to intervene! Enjoy. As always, x's are scene breaks. Italics are letters or thoughts here. And finally, use your words._  
~Case

-x-

Teddy sighed, staring at the barn owl for a moment before taking the package it offered. A tap of his wand and the package enlarged. He knew the owl of course, it belonged to Mr. Malfoy and Draco used it when he wanted to not attract attention. He locked down the feeling of Draco knowing where he was, and probably why he was here, before slowly opening the box. There were envelopes there, most addressed to him, from many of their Slytherin year mates. As well as a large assortment of sweets, a few marked specifically for him, and several new books. He picked up a tin of sweets, reading the label for a moment before grinning. Mrs. Malfoy was an amazing woman. She had sent him sugar-free cookies! Oatmeal raisin was his favourite, so it was even grander.

_Dear Teddy,_

_ Dad said you probably wouldn't be coming over this summer. But he said we could send you letters. Blaise is spending most of the summer here, his mum is on her honeymoon with her newest husband. Blaise likes this one, so hopefully he sticks around. Mille is also here, but she's only staying for two weeks. Her father had to go to Russia and her mother is redecorating. Daphne and her sister spend the days here and Neville is staying with us. One of dad's coworkers went to Neville's house for a home visit and then called dad in. We aren't suppose to bug Neville about it, but it wasn't difficult to figure out why, as we all know what my father does. He called in a life debt to the Longbottom family, so Neville is my foster-brother until something permanent can be found. Anyway hope you are well. We sent you candy! If Harry is with you, tell him I said hello. Heard dad talking to Mum about Harry...figured you'd be together somewhere. We don't know the details and I really don't want to know, either. Figure it has to be something bad. _

_Best, Draco._

_ To Teddy and Harry, _

_Mr. Malfoy won't tell me where either of you are, but he said he could send the letter to you. Mum's married again. Husband number eight! I like him, he doesn't hit me. I picked out the book on Dragons for you, Teddy and the book of mythology for you, Harry. Write me back!_

_Blaise Zabini._

_ Hey Teddy,_

_Blaise's mum is getting married again. Can you believe that? My mum told Mrs. Malfoy that Mrs. Zabini really needs to get her act together and settle down. Hopefully this man doesn't die 'mysteriously' because Blaise really likes him and according to mum, Blaise needs a stable male figure in his life. I wish you have had a stable male figure. We all knew something was wrong Teddy but we figured, I figured, that it wouldn't be polite to ask. That you would tell us if it got bad. You should have told us. We would have figured something out. Helped you. Something. Anyway, tell Harry I said hi. Daphne also says hi! She broke her wrist flying and didn't feel up to writing. We picked up a few books for some girls at your camp...I heard Mr. Malfoy talking about it when I was supposed to be in lessons. But I was skimping. I hate extra lessons. Mr. Malfoy said he'd send them to the Headmistress but we included one in the package. I think Karrie should be there. Could you give the book to her? It's the next one in the series and we were reading it before school let out. I know Karrie's home life wasn't great but she didn't talk of it much. She's in our year too, so if she's not there...could you ask Severus to check on her? I worry about her. _

_ Millicent_

Teddy stared at that last sentence for a moment, before rifling through the box. He glanced down the table to where Karrie was sitting alone before turning to meet Harry's eyes. Harry had a letter from Neville in his hands and he knew he had a similar one to read still. He knew Neville well, they usually spent a week or two at Malfoy Manor every summer. Malfoy summer camp was more like it. So many pure and half blooded children stayed there in the summers, it was very much a zoo sometimes. Teddy darted his eyes toward Karrie, raising an eyebrow at Harry. The black-haired boy thought for a moment before nodding. They both placed the letters and treats back into the box, before he picked it up, standing. Harry followed him and together they walked down to Karrie, plopping down across from her.

"Hey Karrie." Harry murmured quietly, pulling his letter back out of his pocket and returning to reading it for the third time. Neville's letter was quite interesting actually. He had shared a dorm with the other boy for two years, he thought they were something of friends. It was not so shocking to find out that Neville's home had been less than ideal, but it was still a bit upsetting. He didn't like it when his friends were hurt.

"Here Karrie. Millie sent this for you." Teddy held the book out to the silent brunette, waiting patiently until she finally took it from him. She opened the book to the middle, removing a letter from within before shutting it back. Light green eyes met his for a moment before dropping down to the letter.

_Karrie,_

_I hope you are where Teddy is. If not, I will tell Mr. Malfoy to check on you. Daphne and I were worried when we didn't hear from you. I remember what you said, about going home. I never understood before but I think I get it now. Well no, actually, I don't get it. I can't relate. But what I _do_ know is that your home sounds very...as Mr. Malfoy would say, unhealthy. I know I promised I wouldn't tell but you are my friend and sometimes promises must be broken to help. My mum says that sometimes. I asked her if you could come over for the summer and she said if it was possible you could. She had to check something or another though. She wouldn't tell me. Adults won't tell us anything, it's really frustrating. We aren't little kids after all! We're thirteen! Do you remember Neville? He's staying here at the Malfoy's with us, only I think they plan to keep him. His uncle was hurting him, I heard him talking in his sleep. And no, I will not tell the Malfoys that I can't sleep at night. I never told Severus and I won't tell them. It's only been three months since that happened...but I should be able to sleep. Oh well. I hope you are alright. Please let me know. And enjoy the book! I'll sent you another soon. Also, there are some rainbow wands and sparkly dust in the box for you. Get them before the boys eat them!_

_ Your friend, Millicent. _

"I want the rainbow wands please." Karrie remarked, blinking rapidly for a moment before looking back to Teddy and Harry. "And the sparkly dust."

Teddy smirked, digging through the box for a moment before producing the rainbow wands. They were lollies, shaped like 'magic' wands, because girls were weird, that shimmered different colours and made your mouth look like a rainbow. He passed them over with out hesitation. He absolutely hated rainbow wands. Lollies in general, really. They always made him gag. He did hesitate with the containers of sparkly dust however. That stuff was delicious. And sugary.

"What's sparkly dust?" Two sets of eyes turned to stared at Harry, both gaping slightly for a moment before the masks were firmly in place once more. Harry scowled, raising an eyebrow at Teddy. He hated feeling like he was ignorant. He just didn't know much about wizard society, and apparently its candy. But he did feel really stupid, because Karrie was muggleborn, so she should know as much as he did. But she seemed to know more, at least about books and candy.

"Millie introduced me to it last year. It's this..well sparkly dust. It is almost like sugar but it is sparkly and glittery. It changes colours and you never know what flavour you will get, although it is never a nasty flavour like those disgusting beans." Karrie explained quietly, her tone light and almost happy for a moment. Almost...childlike.

"Hey! Bertie Bots aren't all gross. You're just a girl." Teddy retorted, rolling his eyes. None of the girls he knew liked Bertie Bots, at all.

"So? You're just a boy!" Karrie stuck her tongue out at him, grabbing one of the containers of sweet powder.

Harry giggled, glancing between his two friends. "Can I try some, um sparkly dust Karrie?" He grinned brilliantly at her, watching her tip the container to her mouth, pouring in quite a bit of sparkly sugar. It looked almost like a muggle candy his cousin liked, one he never got to try. One that his aunt had banned because it made Dudley very energetic. Karrie handed him another container of the sugar, as Teddy hesitantly tilted one to his own mouth. He popped his open and poured a bit into his mouth, grinning around his orange flavoured sugar. "It's good!"

"Of course it is!" Karrie grinned, pouring more of her sparkly grape flavoured dust into her mouth. She glanced at Teddy, raising an eyebrow at the boy. But if he wanted to go easy on the candy, that was alright with her. More for her and Harry.

It took a few minutes before Harry and Karrie started bouncing in their seats. Teddy smirked at them, pulling his last letter out of the box. He read it quickly before pocketing it. He would write to Neville later, the other boy really needed it. He knew Neville was confused, much like Harry was sometimes. He, at least, had known that his father had been doing bad things. But he also knew that he deserved them. He must had. Teddy shook his head rapidly, trying to clear away those thoughts. He didn't need them right now at all. Movement down the table attracted his attention. Phil was coming toward them and he didn't look happy. "Karrie, Harry. Settle!" He hissed, darting his eyes toward Phil meaningfully.

Harry stilled, or tried to anyway, following Teddy's eyes. He had never had so much sugar before! He had only eaten a container and a half of the sparkly dust. He knew that Karrie had eaten the same amount, it didn't really seem like a lot of candy. But he couldn't stop jittering. He really only had sweets a few times a year, and usually chocolate frogs. But chocolate frogs never made him feel like this, he was never so...floaty. It was great!

Phil frowned down at the three children, stopping beside them. He raised an eyebrow at the two hyper children, children who never acted like this, before glancing at the vials of candy. Great, that stupid sparkly mystery sugar. It had been quite popular at the school he had went to, so he wasn't surprised to see it. But more surprised to see these children eating it. He wasn't in the best of moods but he also knew better than to be heavy-handed with this lot. "May I have the rest of the sugars, please? I think that is quite enough for one evening." He requested quietly, gazing between the three of them.

Teddy frowned, glaring down at the table. It was their candy, they should be allowed to keep it. It wasn't like they had candy all the time or like they would eat it all at once. Well...Harry might. But he wouldn't. And the sparkly dust made Karrie smile and she so rarely smiled. It just wasn't fair.

Harry hesitated before handing over the half empty tube of candy. His face was perfectly blank and a glance at Karrie showed that hers was as well. It wasn't fair, but that was their life. Perhaps they really didn't deserve such treats. It had been good while it lasted.

Light green eyes glared at Phil, one eyebrow arching briefly before a bland mask took its place. Karrie did not hand over her container of sugar, instead merely staring at Phil. If he wanted the sugar, he could take it. But she wasn't giving up the only real treat she have had this summer. Her birthday was the second week of August though and she knew Millie would send her sparkly dust then, as she had last year. Just like last year, her candy was being taken away now. She knew that they, the three of them, were not like the other children and so perhaps they were just not suppose to have sweets. Perhaps they were too dirty and disgusting for sweets.

Phil sighed, taking the vial that the child had sat down on the table before collecting the rest of the flavoured sugar from Teddy. He would give it back tomorrow, or at least some of it. But these children did not know how much sugar was too much. He had seen too many children get sick from the candy, which was very close to being pure sugar, because they didn't realize that much sugar was bad for their bodies. Especially as they were just starting puberty. He glanced at the other treats but hesitated. He really did not want to take all of their treats. But two of the three were already hyper and they really did not need anymore sugar tonight. Perhaps just a warning would do though. They were nearly teenagers after all. "No more sweets tonight, guys. You can have some tomorrow but that is quite enough sugar for one day." Phil remarked briskly, waiting for the three nods before turning and leaving with the containers of sugar.

-x-

Charlie frowned, gazing at the seven containers of sugar that rested of Phil's desk, three of which were half empty. He knew the other man was not it the best of moods, but then neither was he. He was just much better at hiding it, better at still being himself around the boys. Boys who were currently trying to straighten their 'cabin' before the last group meetings of the night and free time. Nearly three hours until lights out and then he would have a bit of free time. Not much, as he did have some work to finish but there was no counselor meeting tonight and hopefully all of the children would stay in their beds. Or at least not leave the common room. He needed to mediate tonight, he knew that. Otherwise he would just keep thinking and that was completely unnecessary and foolish.

Phil sighed, striding into the room. The boys were so messy. He could not remember being that messy at their age, but he was sure he had been. It was just a bit ridiculous how fast they could destroy a room. It had been cleaned that morning but by lunch the boys had managed to make it resemble a war zone. Again. He did not feel patient enough to deal with them tonight, so Bain was helping them. Clearly Charlie wasn't feeling patient either. He raised an eyebrow at the blond, glancing at the confiscated candy.

"Whose candy do you take?" Charlie asked finally, raising a brow of his own.

"Teddy, Harry, and Karrie's. Harry and Karrie were bouncing off the chairs at dinner tonight. They didn't need anymore sugar." Phil shrugged, turning to pick up another note from his bed. Stupid pesky Headmistress. She was being annoying, although he had agreed to see Tim. He just wasn't going to. It shouldn't matter to her if he did or not. He crumbled the note up and tossed it into the bin, not bothering to read it. Unless she was firing him, and then she probably would tell him in person, the note probably was the same as the first.

"Karrie and Harry...did you explain to them as to why you were taking their candy? Or when you would give it back?"Charlie asked, frowning at the back of the other man. Karrie and Harry did not get hyper often and it was something he would pay to see. Those two children just being...children. He understood limiting their sugar intake, especially of this kind of candy, but he was against just taking it away from them.

"I told them they could have more sweets tomorrow." Phil shrugged, glancing at Charlie. Why should he have explained to three twelve year olds why he was taking their sweets? They were twelve, not eight. Quite old enough to know the reasons, even if they didn't know their own sugar limits yet. Especially Teddy, who would have to learn new limits to how much sugar he could have.

"You didn't explain it, did you? Damn it Phil." Charlie murmured, scowling at the other man. He knew the three children well...or as well as could be expected from three who did not speak often. But he understood them and they were in his, Mary and Jake's group. The worst of the worst. The children who were so badly abused and so brainwashed into it that they thought they deserved such treatment. The children who were too much like he was once, hurting and scared. Children who probably had rarely had sweets and treats, who would believe they didn't deserve such treats. And Phil had just made it worse, by reinforcing that belief. That even here, even when they were safe, they did not deserve what other children had. Damn it.

"What? They're twelve, Charlie. Surely they would understand. I'm sure they have had sweets taken away before, so that they wouldn't make themselves sick." Phil snapped, glaring at him. He was not in the mood to put up with an overprotective Charlie tonight.

"You are a fool. Chances are, they have rarely had sweets. Perhaps not at all. They would believe that they didn't deserve sweets and you reinforced that! You can't just be so thoughtless, Phil! These children have been hurt gravely! You have never been this careless, but it the last three days? Pull yourself together!" Charlie snarled, turning cold blue eyes to meet a deeper blue pair.

"Me? You've been on edge since lunch! I made a mistake, it happens! I will talk to them." Phil retorted, folding his arms across his chest. Damn. So perhaps they hadn't understood. But they never spoke up, never argued. Which should have set off alarm bells, other children would have argued the unfairness of it. They just silently glared at him but given it. Defeated. Like they thought they had been doing wrong. _Fuck. Now I have to convince them that it is okay for them to have sugar. Damn it to hell. Why must I always screw everything up?_ Phil scowled, slamming his hand into his head, forgetting for a brief moment that Charlie was there. Before he could repeat the action, however, a hand was wrapped around his wrist.

"Stop." Charlie whispered quietly, keeping hold of Phil's wrist. He gestured toward the other man's bed before releasing his wrist and touching the pendant around his neck. They needed help or one of them would get hurt, either from each other or, in Phil's case, of his own doing. He watched Phil for a moment before sitting down on his own bed, directly across from him. "Phil. Hands on your knees." He ordered softly, causing the blue-haired man to glare at him before removing his nails from flesh and resting his hands on his knees.

-x-

Alexis stopped outside the boy's dorm, hesitating before deciding to go in another way. There was a second door to the counselors room, one that meant she would not walk in on any half-dressed preteens. Tim, however, held no such concerns, going straight into the boys room and stopping to talk briefly with Bain. She entered Phil and Charlie's room at the same time Tim did, frowning slightly at the two younger men, both who seemed quite unhappy. She also smelt blood, although barely, which did not make _her_ happy. Charlie's call had been non-specific, a silent plead for someone to come help with a counselor dispute. Fight seemed like the better word and both men seemed angry. At each other or themselves was not quite clear, however. She surveyed the two men for a moment, noting their body language. Phil's fingers were digging into his knees, in a way that reminded her of children who had been ordered to put their hands on their knees, to help fight the temptation to harm themselves. She glanced at Charlie with a sigh; his magic seemed to barely be under control. She touched her own pendant, canceling Charlie's request and letting the senior staff know that she was handling it. Although she wasn't quite sure what she was handling.

"You called them? Fool." Phil hissed, digging his nails into his palms, fighting the urge to take off. The flight instinct was always strong in him when he was confronted with something or in trouble. It was never there around Charlie, but he was also much more comfortable with Charlie seeing his flaws. He had a lot of them and he knew it. Especially oversight. Sometimes he forgot that the children might not be at the same level of understanding as some of their peers, because they weren't used to the same things or situations as children should be. He always tried to be gentle and patient, but he was out of patience today and perhaps he could have done better. He knew that. He was just...angry. Especially now, at Charlie. Damn fool.

"Idiot." Charlie growled, forcing himself to take a breath. He could not take his anger out on Phil. He wasn't even angry with Phil. They all made mistakes. He needed control, _now,_ or he would do something rash. That's why he called for Alexis. Or whoever was nearby. She was his choice though, if he have had to make one. She could handle the situation. He did not have the patience today, his temper was shot. And now his fellow counselor was harming himself. He had guessed but he had never seen it, so he had let it go. He wasn't going to let it go now.

"Enough." Tim ordered quietly, checking the silencing ward around the room. It was still up but he strengthened it, to prevent any further shouting matches from being overheard. Thankfully, the children had not heard this one. He was curious to know what had caused this between the two of them, although he could guess. Tempers were short, they both looked exhausted, and they had a group of active boys to look after. Active, hurting boys. He had honestly expected one or two of the ca,p counselors to meltdown in the near future; he just hadn't expected it to be so soon. "Who would like to tell us what happened?" He requested finally, eyes going between the two. His eyes landed on Phil's hands and he sighed, catching Alexis' eye.

She followed his gaze for a moment before nodding and conjuring two armchairs, positioning one near each young man. "Stop Phil. Let Tim see to your hands please." She ordered softly, turning gray eyes to land on Charlie. An angry Charlie. Perhaps she should have pushed him further earlier, but she knew he would have just shut down. He might shut down, even now, if pushed. She arched a brow at him and he bit back a sigh.

"We were arguing over...Phil's thoughtlessness in just taking sweets from three of the children without offering them an explanation. Apparently, they were hyper." Charlie scowled.

"You call that arguing? I made a mistake. You don't have to be so high and mighty over it. You are far from perfect, Charlie." Phil bit out, trying to keep his hands away from Tim's reach. Yes, there were drops of blood forming around some small cuts but he didn't need a healer. Didn't want a healer. He was _fine._

"No one here is perfect, Phil. What sweets did you take from them?" Tim asked quietly, raising an eyebrow. From Charlie's demeanor it was three children who rarely had sweets, so he could understand where the blond was coming from here.

"The kids call it sparkly dust. It's this flavoured sugar concoction that is way too much sugar at one time." Phil grimaced, finally allowing Tim to take hold of his wrists. Alexis had been giving him that look...he hated receiving that look. The one that said she was not pleased at all with his behaviour.

Alexis made a face for a fleeting moment, shaking her head. She hated that candy. She had seen too many cases where an older teenager had tried breathing it in to see what it did. The answer was, quite frankly, nothing besides making them sick. Too much of the sugar could send a child's body into shock, there were even warning on the packages! Wizarding children would burn it off faster, of course, but sugar like that could cause out of control magic in younger children, and even some older ones. She had even seen an asthmatic child almost die from accidentally inhaling it. If she could ban the candy she would, but she knew better. Banning it would make it much more appealing. Besides that, most children who were raised with the candy were thought to never eat too much of it. It was the muggleborns and raised that didn't know the dangers of too much sugar to their magic. "I'm sure you realize now that you should have explained why you took the candy and the dangers of the sweet to the children." She remarked finally, raising an eyebrow as the younger man jerked his hand out of Tim's grasp, again.

Tim frowned at the man, smacking his leg with his free hand. "Stop fighting me, Phil, or I will do a full scan on you." He ordered, causing the young man to still instantly. He knew the smack would stick, but he also knew that it would do no real damage. The boy had ignored his quiet warning a minute before and he did not make ideal warnings when he was trying to heal or at least investigate the damage. He would be doing a full scan on the younger man later that night if he could, since Phil was determined to avoid him and there was usually a reason for that.

"Yes, fine. I made a mistake. I'll fix it tomorrow. Either they will understand or they won't." Phil growled, speaking irrationally and without thought. He would talk to them tomorrow and make sure they did understand, because he did actually care for these children. They were good kids and he had made a rash judgment of the situation, something that he shouldn't have. But he was still learning as were they. They were teaching him much more about his job and about himself than his training ever had.

"They won't. You'll be lucky if the three even take the candy back. Harry, Teddy, and Karrie were not raised to understand apologies, or to even receive them." Charlie snapped, fighting to keep his temper. He knew Phil was upset and frustrated, but the man spoke so thoughtlessly! Doing so around the children could be damaging. He would not lash out, he wouldn't. It was not Phil he was angry at. _I am loved. Cared for. Safe. Sane. Okay. Everything is fine._ His mantra was not helping this time, no matter how often he repeated it in his head. Sane? Yeah, right. Sane people didn't have tempers like he did. He knew that.

Ah. That made more sense then. Charlie was extremely protective of those two boys and that little girl. They had been through so much and he knew the young man probably came from a much similar background as they did. "Alright, enough. The two of you could use some space from each other right now, until you are both thinking rationally again. Phil, why don't you come to my office, the two of us have much to discuss." Tim ordered finally, standing and turning warm brown eyes to the blue-haired youth. Phil grumbled under his breath but stood, following him slowly toward the door Alexis' had come through.

"Oh, and Phil? Don't run from Tim. He is not as lenient as I am."Alexis remarked, catching the boy's eye for a moment. He blushed and averted his gaze, dragging slowly behind Tim. Once they were gone, she sighed turning back to face Charlie. "Tell me what is bothering you?"

"I am fine." He hissed, staring at the wall and forcing himself to take another deep breath.

"You are not. We both know that while Phil might had fueled your anger, he is not the reason for it."She replied quietly, gray eyes concerned for the young man in front of her. He was one of their best counselors and she knew he needed someone to talk to. But he had to be willing to talk to them. She had been willing to wait for him to come to her, but perhaps now was the time to try to get him to open up.

"He was not, no. I just...need to meditate Alexis." He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. He could not talk about it, he would break if he did and he had to be strong for his boys.

"Perhaps. Talking about it might help though. It doesn't make you weak, Charlie, to ask for help."

"I don't need help. I just need to be alone." He snapped, biting his lip. Help...only a few times had he been offered help before. But he was older now. He could handle this. He just needed to breath.

"I am not going to leave you alone when you are this upset. I'm sorry, Charlie, but I cannot. However, we can just sit here in silence if that is what you need." Alexis responded finally, watching him closely. Head bowed, eyes closed, his temper was barely held within control and she could see his magic trying to stray out, his aura expanding.

Charlie sighed, breathing slowly for a few minutes. He sat there, in silence, with her close by. When he had finally reigned his magic back it, cooled his temper down a bit, and opened his eyes, she was still there. Watching him. And her eyes...they were concerned. For him. "Sorry, Headmistress. I just...needed a minute. Sometimes it becomes too much and my temper flares."He explained softly, staring at the floor. It was a bit embarrassing, that he could not fully control his temper. But he was, had been, angry. Angry at a fifteen year old bully, angry at Phil, angry at himself for getting angry. Angry that he had almost lost his temper at the bully, angry that his children had been hurt so badly, just...angry. He had been that way as a child, turning all emotions into anger, but he had much better control of it now. He would not turn into...that. He wouldn't.

"What becomes too much?"

The soft question caught him off guard and caused him to raise startled blue eyes to meet gray. "Everything. My boys are hurting and I cannot even protect them here, for they are still bullied. Watching them flinch at every touch or slight movement, seeing their blank masks and hurt eyes...it is too much sometimes. " Charlie hesitated but decided to be honest with himself, and her by extension. "It reminds me too much of my own childhood, of my own experience with bullies here. Many of the counselors did not go to Hogwarts. I did. I still cannot even look Professor Snape or Professor Flitwick. in the eyes." He admitted finally, meeting her eyes once again. There was no pity there, just understanding and care. Concern.

"Why is that?"

"They both tried to have me removed from my home. Dumbledore ignored them. They both offered to help me and Professor Snape spent a few weeks of detention teaching me to meditate, so that I could better control my temper. So that I would stop starting fights." He shrugged, flushing slightly. He greatly respected the older two men and they never brought up the past. They were both quite good to him and Professor Snape..Severus had told him that he was always welcome to come to him for anything.

Alexis bit back a sigh. More damage that Dumbledore had caused. She had known, of course, that he had not a good home life, although not the details. Severus had mentioned it when Tim hired him on, that the boy would probably relate to the students well and he had a bit of emotional empathy...that he might lose his temper. But Severus had also not know the extent of his abuse, just that it had been there and the little the man had told him. Details of which were confidential and she knew better than to press for. She had learned of a tower incident, as it had been in his old student file, another incident where the old fool had done nothing and Severus and Filius had tried to pick up the pieces, to find out reasons. The very thought of such an incident was nearly heart stopping. But that was in the past and there was a young man in front of her who needed her now. "You are an adult now, Charlie. No longer a student. You can do something about the bullies, the training sessions we will be holding a couple of nights a week should help you now how to address it rationally. If you ever do get too angry, send them to someone else and come see me. Even if it is just to sit in my office for a bit, until you have control once more. You are not the person you once were and the boys absolutely adore you. I am here for you Charlie. Severus, Filius, and Tim are also here and ready to listen if you should come to them. We care about you. You are not your past." Her quiet words made him visibly relax. She knew he had expected her to brush him off, to hold his past against him. But she would not, could not. He was a good young man and they needed him, the boys needed him. And he needed them.

"I...thank you, Alexis. I admit that I am not quite ready to talk just yet. About anything. But it means a lot. Very few people have ever cared." He murmured quietly, blinking rapidly.

"I am here whenever you are ready to talk, whether it be about your past or your future. Or even the terrors of trying to get eleven boys in bed by nine-thirty." She replied softly, smiling softly when he chuckled. She had been trying to get him to laugh, to light the mood a bit.

"Would you stay for a bit?" He requested after a few minutes of silence. Although he didn't want to talk, he didn't really fancy being alone. A glance at the timepiece showed that free time would start in a half hour, he knew Jake was probably running his group, and then he would have to go back out to check on his boys. But right now, he needed the quiet and the calmness that was the Headmistress.

"Of course." Alexis leaned back in her armchair, pulling a muggle notebook from her robe pockets. She had planned to be in the common room during free time, as she was every evening, so she didn't mind staying with him. Especially when he was still a bit upset, when he still needed a bit of quiet. She understood completely. She wouldn't have wanted to be left alone with the demons in her head, either. And although it already felt like it would be a long night, she didn't really mind. These people, the adults and the children, and this school were her life now. And she was perfectly okay with that.


	13. Accepting Comfort

A/N_: Do not own. This chapter was a difficult one to write. I cut it off where I did because otherwise it would have been around 10k words. 10k is just too much information all at once. Besides, I decided that Teddy's birthday deserved its own chapter, although I cannot promise the whole chapter will be happy. Just as this chapter is not entirely happy. This chapter may seem random, and perhaps it was, but it just struck me and needed to be written. It does involve a rapist...but as always, there is nothing graphic here and it is past, not current, rape. Just bear with me here. I promise it is a good chapter. AND you get to learn much more about Bain and Karrie! Enjoy. X's are scene breaks, italics are usually thoughts. As always, use your words.  
~Case_

-x-

"Teddy, a moment please." Charlie called out, causing the brown-haired boy and his black-haired friend to turn toward him. It was a few minutes to the start of breakfast and Phil was already leading the rest of their group down to the Great Hall. It was two days after their argument, nearing the end of the first week of camp. Teddy's potions would arrive with his breakfast and they had checked his sugar first thing this morning. This was about something different, a conversation that would hopefully go well. "It's alright, Harry. I just want a quick word with Teddy. Go on with Karrie, please. We will be down in a minute." He added quietly, smiling reassuringly at the boy. The three children were almost inseparable now, although Karrie was getting along better with her bunk mates now. He was sure the boys had something to do with it.

"Go ahead, Harry. I'll be alright." Teddy murmured, glancing at his friend. Harry merely nodded, giving him one last worried glance before trotting off to catch up with Karrie and her group. "What'd I do?" He asked, turning brown eyes back to Charlie. He couldn't remember doing anything, but he was sure something was wrong. Although, Charlie was smiling at him and his eyes were soft, not like he was disappointed or displeased at all.

Charlie sighed, shaking his head softly. Of course the child would automatically assume he did something wrong. He could tell that the child had barely slept last night and he wasn't sure if the boy would sleep well tonight, either. He wasn't sure if it was anxiety or excitement though. For tomorrow was Teddy's birthday. "You did nothing wrong, Teddy. I just wanted to talk to you about tomorrow." He replied finally, frowning when the child tensed.

"What about?"

"Your birthday, Teddy. We will be having a birthday dinner for you, as we did for Lacey on Tuesday. We would also like to throw a small party for you afterwards, for you and your friends. It is up to you, of course, but I was wondering if you wanted to invite any friends from outside of camp?" He explained quietly, crouching next to the younger boy. They had thrown a similar party for Lacey, who had turned sixteen, with her closest friends. It was the Headmistress' idea and as Teddy's counselor, his responsibility to find out who to tell Alexis to invite. If the child wanted to invite anyone. For there was a bit of terror there, hidden in the depths of those brown eyes.

He stared at the blond for a moment, blinking rapidly. A party? He had never had a party on his birthday before, usually his friends just sent him letters and cards. His father had been against parties, but sometimes the Malfoys managed to get him for the day, to take him, Blaise, and Draco to a nice dinner. He wasn't sure if he wanted a birthday party; he hated his birthday. But perhaps this year would be different. He did know who he would want to invite, though. But he wasn't sure if he wanted them knowing what happened. They did all know he was at Hogwarts, though. So it couldn't hurt. Teddy sighed, fighting to sort the mess of thoughts in his head. "I...can Draco come? And Blaise and Neville? And Millie and Daphne?" He asked finally, naming the current group staying with the Malfoys. His friends.

"Of course. I will let the Headmistress know." Charlie smiled, keeping the concern off his face. The child's mask was still up, much as his own was, but there was something there. Teddy did not seem happy for his birthday at all, which was a bit unusual.

"Harry and Karrie have to come too." Teddy stated quietly. He would not have a party at all without them.

"Ah, but I already figured that. You can tell them at breakfast, which we are late for." Charlie teased lightly, causing the mousey boy to smile for a brief second before he started trotting off. "Wait for me, Teddy!" He shook his head, following at a slower pace. He would tell the Headmistress of the boy's choices after breakfast; hopefully the present he owl-ordered would arrive today.

-x-

"Remus?"

"Yes Harry?" Remus looked up from the stack of papers he was going through, the supply and book lists that needed to be sent out soon, to raise an eyebrow at the small boy. He had been lounging in their quarters to get some work done, as the staff room was hectic and he had agreed to help with afternoon activities. But it wasn't lunch yet and he hoped that the child had told someone where he was going.

Harry hesitated, worrying his lip between his teeth for a moment. He wasn't sure if Remus would want to go with him, and he was prepared to go alone but he didn't want to get in trouble. And Karrie wanted to come too. "Tomorrow is Teddy's birthday." He stated finally, eyes focused on the carpet. How he wished he still had his fringe!

He knew this already, of course. He was acting as a chaperone for the small party, as was Severus. He had a feeling Alexis would be there as well as the Malfoys. He was confused only for a moment as to why the child was telling him this with that downtrodden look. Like he would turn him away for something he asked. He wouldn't, even knowing that it meant he would have to continue his work later. He had to take a child gift-shopping, after all. "Would you like to get him something for his birthday, Harry?" Remus asked quietly, brown eyes soft.

"I..yes. But Karrie...can she come? She wants to get Teddy something too." Cautious green-eyes peered up at Remus, not quite meeting his eyes. Because although they kept requesting that he meet their eyes, he knew better. Uncle had drilled it into his head. Asking to go shopping for Teddy was pushing those limits hard. It made him almost...uncomfortable. Uneasy. Scared.

"Of course she can." Remus smiled, glancing at the timepiece. The children in Harry's group would be entering a different activity soon and he was pretty sure it was the period where Teddy met with Tim. He was quite proud to say that his ward was cunning and bright. "We could go now, if you like?" He questioned, putting his paperwork away.

"I don't want to interrupt your work, Remus. Sorry." Harry grimaced, turning his eyes back to the floor. He had forgotten that his guardians would be working. He knew Severus was in the lab with Bain, but he hadn't thought about taking Remus away from his work. That was bad of him.

"It is alright, child. It is nothing important and I did need a break from it." Remus forced back a sigh, standing slowly. "Why don't we find Karrie and I'll let your counselors know where you will be. Then we can head off to Hogsmeade." He remarked quietly, summoning his robes and a money pouch. He knew that neither child would have much money, but that was alright. He had enough here to give them each a bit for Teddy, especially as they had planned to give Harry a bit of money as an allowance anyway. The child merely nodded, grinning brilliantly for a moment, before darting out the door. "Slow down, Harry!" He called out, shaking his head slightly. One moment the child was so old and the next he was acting like an excited twelve-year-old. How he wished Harry could be twelve all the time.

-x-

Soft green eyes scanned the bookshelves, critically evaluating each novel. Karrie ran her fingers across the spines of the books, stopping every now and then. She had wanted to find the perfect book for Teddy, although with the five galleons that Remus had given each of them, perhaps she could get him more than one.

Harry sighed impatiently, shuffling slowly beside Karrie. He knew exactly what he wanted to get Teddy; they just needed to go down to the toy store. Hopefully Karrie would make a decision soon. Girls were so slow when it came to shopping. Ugh.

"Found it!" Karrie grinned briefly, picking up a large, leather-bound novel. There was another novel on the next shelf that also looked interesting. She glanced at the prices, doing a bit of quick math in her head before picking up the smaller book.

"The Complete Adventures of Sherlock Holmes? That's a good choice, Karrie." Remus commented quietly before glancing at the small green book. _"Merlin, the Great"? _He shook his head, biting down a smile. He had read that book once, when he was younger. It was merely glad that Karrie had found a gift without wondering into the backroom, where the child had actually wanted to go. Why a child would know of the grittier, darker books was beyond him. He led the children to the counter and then, finally, back outside. "Alright, where to Harry?"

"The toy shop." Harry grinned, sprinting toward the store.

"Walk, Harry!" Remus called, following at a slower pace with Karrie. That boy was going to be the death of him.

Harry frowned, surveying the racks and bins of toys closely. He knew exactly what he wanted to get Teddy. He just wasn't sure if this toy store had it. He wandered aimlessly for a moment, pass the dolls and games, stopping in front of the display of Quidditch figurines. He scanned them with an air of disinterest, turning to the shelve of small figurines beside it. Enchanted animals, Griffins, unicorns...Dragons! He searched through them carefully, finally finding a great white dragon. Picking it up, he tickled its stomach, giggling when it sprouted a ring of smoke. This was perfect for Teddy. He knew the other boy missed his dragons greatly; Teddy loved dragons and wanted to work with them one day. He turned to pay, backing up suddenly, eyes fixed on the man at the counter. He looked...creepy.

"Harry? Come on." Karrie whispered, slipping her hand into his. She watched the gray-haired scarred man out of the corner of her eyes, shuffling sideways toward where Remus was studying the back cover of a game.

"Ready, you two?" Remus asked, glancing up at the children. He frowned, noticing quickly their posture and smelling the fear that radiated off of both children. "What's wrong?" He added softly, crouching to their level.

Karrie grimaced, tilting her head slightly toward the man. She slid closer to the professor, clutching Harry's hand tighter. She knew that man from somewhere...but she couldn't remember where There was something about him that scared her though, like he could easily hurt her or Harry.

He stiffened, brown eyes scrutinizing the other man. The man smelled dangerous and familiar. The store owner didn't look happy having the man in his shop, either. He hadn't realized that the man had been released from prison, for there was no mistaking Dalius. He was actually surprised that he was alive, considering what he went to jail for. Kidnapping and raping children, even if they had been muggle children, they were still children and their society was against crimes toward any child, no matter their blood. Unfortunately, not all wizards followed that trend, as shown by the handful of pure-blooded children currently at the castle. He needed to get his children out of here, and soon. He did not like how that man was watching them and, although he could prevent the wolf inside from rising up, he would protect these children. With his life, if he had to. "Stay close to me." Remus murmured softly, straightening and turning to put himself between the man and his children. A small hand slipping into his caused him to look down at the preteen girl. She was white and shaking, her eyes looked haunted. He squeezed the small hand comfortingly, leading the two children to the part of the counter that was furthest from the convict. He put the game on the counter next to Harry's dragon, watching the man closely out of the corner of his eye.

"Such a pretty package you have there." The gray-haired thug snarled softly, eyes raking over the boy and girl. They did not look older than ten, if that. Perfect. If he could just get their keeper away...

Remus turned, eyes flashing to amber. "Touch them and I kill you." He growled dangerously, tightening his grasp on Karrie's hand. He dropped the requested number of galleons on the counter, shrinking and pocketing the toys before maneuvering the two children to the side furthest away from the man and ushering them out the door. The two children were still grasping each others hand and he still had hold of Karrie's, which helped them move faster. He hesitated for a brief second before leading the two into the Three Broomsticks. There was no way they would make it back to Hogwarts without that man following them and he did not want him to know where they were. Or that there were indeed children currently at Hogwarts. "Rosemerta, may we use your floo?" He questioned quietly, stopping briefly at the bar. At her nod, he moved toward the floo, crouching down once more. "We are going to floo back to Hogwarts. We will floo together so, Harry,I need you to take one of my hands, Karrie will hold the other." He murmured quietly, keeping one eye on the door.

Harry didn't hesitate, releasing Karrie's hand to take Remus'. He had not liked that man, he had been...scary. He was a bit frightened and he knew he would feel safer at Hogwarts. Plus, Karrie was still shaking badly. He didn't feel safe right now, or he wouldn't anyway, if Remus hadn't been with them, and he knew that she didn't either. He grabbed the floo powder at Remus' direction, tossing it into the fire as his guardian softly whispered their location to the fire before being pulled into it.

-x-

Remus caught both children as they stumbled, steadying Teddy for a moment before turning to Karrie. The child was still deadly pale and shaking. She was also now...crying. Oh if he could go back to that man...but he could not. All he could do was comfort these two children.

"Remus? What happened?" Severus asked, frowning slightly, when he looked up from the table where he and Bain had been working. His eyes narrowed as he watched his partner, who had been crouching next to the children, suddenly lift the girl up on his hip, swaying slightly with her. He was more surprised, however, to see Karrie, a child who hated touch and was terrified of most men, cling to him like her life depended on it.

"Shh, child. You are safe now. You are both safe now." Remus whispered, rocking slightly with the too light child. The fact that she trusted him enough to touch her at all, to pick her up, spoke volumes. Her arms and legs were wrapped tightly around him, her body still trembling as tears soaked through his robes. She was twelve, yes, but he knew that she had also probably never had anyone hold her before; never knew what a gentle, loving touch was. Never knew what guardians were suppose to be. She wasn't his ward, yet, but she was a hurting child and she needed comfort. Much like the young boy beside him, who had wrapped his arms around his middle, his head buried into his chest. One child clinging to his neck and the other clinging to his side. If he could hold both at once, he would.

Severus hesitated for a moment, since he still did not know what had happened. But it must have been bad if it upset both of the children. He moved slowly, going to crouch near Harry. He beckoned the child and suddenly caught an armful of shaking preteen boy. Thankfully, the child had yet to hit his growth spurt, as he was easily able to lift the child up into his arms. Skinny legs wrapped around his waist as a head buried itself into his neck. "It's alright, Harry. You are safe now. You are home." He whispered softly, catching Remus' eyes briefly. He would be getting the story in detail later. He turned at the soft touch to his shoulder, nodding gratefully at the teenaged boy. Bain was his apprentice for a reason, the boy was quite smart. He took the calming draft that he offered, watching with one eye as Bain moved to give one to Remus as well. He held the vial to Harry's lips, helping the child drink. Within minutes the boy's grip loosen and the child was asleep in his arms. A glance at Remus showed that Karrie was now asleep as well.

"I conjured an extra bed in Harry's room." Bain murmured softly, taking the two empty vials and vanishing them. As worked up as the children had been, sleep was the best thing for them right now. That way they could calm down and they would feel better, safer.

"Thank you, Bain." Severus replied softly, careful not to jostle his light child. He carried the boy into his room, nodding when the Bain moved the covers back for him before moving to do the same for Remus. He tucked his Harry into bed, smoothing a hand over the child's hair. His child was upset and it upset him. He didn't know what was wrong, just that his child had been scared and his partner angry. It did not make him happy, that a simple trip into town would end in two children under a drugged sleep.

Remus tucked Karrie into the spare bed, setting a charm in the room to let them know if either child woke up. He moved back to their sitting room, taking a deep breath to calm himself. Bain handed him a potion and he downed it without question. The boy was not a potions master yet, nor a healer, but he knew the child would not poison him and he was learning from the best.

"What happened?"

"There was this man in the toy store...both children were terrified of him." Remus muttered, running a hand across his face. He felt calmer now, his heart slowing back to normal. What he would give for a Fire-whiskey!

Severus frowned, narrowing his eyes. There was something that Remus wasn't saying, he knew that. It was much more than just a strange man, to scare both children. To make them wary, sure, but to terrify them to the point of tears? He glanced toward Bain, who had settled back down at the table with his assignment, before turning back to survey his partner. He knew the teenager was listening but that really wasn't a problem just yet. "Tell me. Please?"

"He was leering at them, Severus! He wanted them! He kept staring at our children like they were meat. What was worse, Karrie seemed to recognize him. I'm not sure if it was from the papers or something else, but the child was so upset by him.." Remus took a deep breath, forcing his emotions down. He wanted to tear that man limb for limb, no one would harm his children. He would tell Severus about threatening the man later; that was not something Bain needed to hear.

He bit back a growl, pacing the room. He did not like the implications of Karrie knowing this man, nor of this creep wanting his kids. He had not missed Remus calling them their _children_ after all. He was quite alright with that, actually. Karrie needed positive male figures in her life, as well as a place to call hope. Just as Harry did. It was something to speak on later, however. This issue at hand was a bit more important, especially if there was a pedophile near Hogwarts. "Did you recognize him?" He asked softly, dangerously.

"If I am not mistaken, it was Dalius. How he is out of prison, I do not know." Remus sighed, shaking his head slightly. The man shouldn't be out of prison at all, but then he had gone to a muggle jail for some reason. Perhaps they had found it fit to release him? The soft gasp from the kitchen drew his attention. He glanced at the teenager and froze. The young man had gone white, eyes wide.

Severus cursed silently, turning to his apprentice. He knew that Bain had been severely abused, even if the boy's brilliance often overshadowed the abuse, making it seem irrelevant. It was only in moments like this, only when he could see the pain so clearly written in those eyes, that Bain seemed like the child he was. A survivor, rescued from the clutches of his muggle father, who had beaten him and locked him in a basement, and left with an uncertain future. He was magically an adult, but he could not complete any legal transaction in the Magical or Muggle worlds until he was eighteen. Without Lucius sponsoring his apprenticeship, one that he hoped to continue with the boy well after the summer was over, and Alexis taking over his guardianship, the child would be on the streets or in one of the few foster homes that accepted boys his age. Although the Ravenclaw wore a mask, he could not hide the emotion in those light blue eyes. "Bain?" He questioned softly, moving to the teenager. They have had discussions about his past before, because Bain was his apprentice and he would mentor the boy as a master should. He could not teach the boy the dangerous art of brewing if he was distracted by the demons in his mind. But getting the teen to open up to him, or anyone for that matter, was not easy.

The red-head to a deep breath, forcing his mind to calm. He did remember the basics of meditation, which Severus had taught to him when he was fifteen and losing his temper often. It was perhaps the only detentions where he had to fight to keep the Professor from finding out anything about his home life. Because Severus had wanted him to _talk_ about what made him so angry. But he wouldn't, not then. And now, even though he trusted Severus completely, he was terrified. Because why would the man, or the Headmistress, care about him? Especially if they knew the truth. He sighed, pushing those thoughts down. He knew that both Severus, his Potions Master and mentor, and Alexis, his guardian, cared about him. Both had invited him into their lives with open arms. But would they really still want him around, if they knew? Tim would say he was doubting himself, falling into the thought patterns his abusers had taught him. He would probably be right, but it mattered not to him. "Sorry sir, was reading side effects of this herb."Bain lied softly, looking away from his mentor. Hopefully the man would believe him and let it go.

Severus arched a brow, glancing at the blank worksheet in front of the young man. He had just began it; it was a pitiful lie but a lie all the same. "Which herb?" He asked silkily, glancing at Remus. The slightly older man had leaned forward, studying Bain with worried eyes. A simple name should not produce a reaction of fear and pain from the young man, not if the boy didn't know the convict.

"Valerian." He answered instantly and then mentally smacked himself. He had studied Valerian yesterday, to see if it would work as a substitute in this potion. It would not, which was why he was once more back to the damn worksheet, trying to replace one ingredient with another, something he would have to do if he ever attempted his mastery. He cringed, waiting for a blow that would never come. His father would have hit him for lying and then hit him again for getting caught. But he was not with his father. He was with Severus and Remus, who had taken him under their wing and offered him knowledge and understanding. He flinched when a hand landed on his shoulder, but calmed quickly.

"Steady, Bain." Severus stated softly. He squeezed the younger man's shoulder, crouching so that he was on eye level with the seated teenager. "You are safe here. You can tell us whatever is worrying you. We are here for you child, we will not judge you for your past nor hold it against you. I've told you that before. " He coaxed gently.

He relaxed a bit, leaning into the comforting hand. He knew Severus would not harm him, no matter what he told him. That man...it was a name he remembered, from long ago. He had been ten and it was not something he wished to remember. He had blocked the memory, locked it in. But he was here, he was safe. Severus, and Remus by extension, would not let anything happen to him. Or Alexis would have their heads; he had heard her threats to Severus after all, involving him and experimental potions. "I knew him...once." He whispered finally, staring at his hands. The man had been in jail for five years, he had felt quite relived when he had found that out. It had been all over the muggle newspapers. He had been sentenced on six counts of kidnapping and three counts of rape...the man should still be in jail. But he was a wizard...in a muggle prison. He had probably found a way out, which did not make him feel well at all. Even if the man was on parole, it was not...right. He shouldn't be on parole so soon.

"How?"

The quiet question shook him from his thoughts, forcing him to focus on Severus once more. He didn't really want to answer and he knew Severus would accept that, but somehow he felt it was important that he did. They just didn't need to know the details. "He took me when I was ten, beat me into submission and then left me wandering in a park when he was finished with me." Bain shrugged, forcing to keep his voice level, his face expressionless.

Severus growled under his breath, fighting his urge to break something. Remus would not be happy if he destroyed their sitting room. Again. He could have guessed, to be honest, from the pain in the boy's eyes and knowing Dalius' crimes. How many more children had the man abused before getting caught? Before someone finally broke the silence? He understood the fear of speaking up quite well, he knew that abusers often threatened the children to make them too scared to tell. But the silence needed to be broken. Children needed to know that it was alright to tell someone, that there was someone out there who actually cared about what happened to them. That was what Bain and Karrie, Teddy and Harry, all needed to hear. That someone cared for them. That it wasn't their fault. Because he knew exactly what Bain wasn't saying, that the man had raped him. And he knew why Bain hadn't spoken up. Who would believe him if he had? His abusive father? His submissive mother? By the time he had come to Hogwarts, the child had been so used to being silent that he didn't know how to tell a teacher about it. He didn't know he could. It wasn't until the boy was older that they had finally managed to get him to say anything and that was only because his anger was so out of control. "It was not your fault, Bain. You are safe now. He will never hurt you again." Severus replied finally, gently squeezing the boy's shoulder once more. That vile being would never hurt _any_ child again if he had something to say about it.

The young man merely nodded, looking away. He knew this. Deep down. But that didn't mean he had to believe it. He knew he was dirty, used. Or he used to be, anyway. He was alright now. Safe. Cared for. Or at least that was what he kept telling himself.

Severus hesitated, before straightening slowly. He held a hand out to Bain, pulling the boy to his feet and into his arms when he trustingly took his hand. He felt the young man stiffen briefly but he quickly relaxed, wrapping lanky arms, that he had finally grown into around, around him in return; a young head burrowing into his shoulder. He was not a cold man; he knew when a child needed comfort and by Merlin he would comfort this child.

Bain finally, after a few minutes of the comforting hug, pulled back, swiping at his eyes. He was not crying, his eyes were just leaking slightly. He gave Severus a quick smile of thanks because now he felt much better, safer. He was also hoping the man forgot his bit of deceit. But alas, if wishes were pie..

"Now, boy. Lines." Severus smirked, waving his hand at the table. A roll of parchment and a pen appeared. The child was muggleborn; his skills with a quill made his eyes burn and his head throb. Although he was teaching the boy to write better with one, he knew quite well that most European wizards used a certain type of pen or pencil. He often used a pen for taking quick notes and a pencil for corrections or changes to a potion recipe. The young man knew better than to lie to him, even if he had been trying to avoid a difficult topic.

Bain rolled his eyes, glancing at the parchment. _"I will not lie to Master Severus."_ A hundred times? The man must be feeling lenient. His hands were going to be stained with ink before the summer was over. He had spent most of yesterday evening, after the boys had gone to bed, writing his assigned _"I will not touch stinging nettles or squeeze nightshade berries with my bare hands"_ three hundred times. Although, that was much better than the threat the man had made, a promise really, that if he ever tried to brew an experimental potion or a mastery level potion by himself, that Severus would spank him. He didn't doubt the man either. He already had felt that man's stinging charm when he had ignored his own safety for the sake of a potion. Adults were so...weird about being safe. It was a bit confusing, but he had decided that it merely meant they cared and that was a good thing, he supposed. After all, why would they take the time to explain their reasons and _lovingly_ discipline him if they didn't care?

-x-


	14. Birthday Nightmares

A/N: Do not own. _Updated at last! I swear, my other stories will be updated soon if I can help it. However, I assume many of you have been waiting for this chapter. It is a bit long... and drawn out in places but hopefully you will enjoy it. This is very Teddy-centred with a bit of Karrie thrown in and a handful of Slytherin children. Welcome to Teddy's Birthday chapter. I apologize if it is not as happy as it could be. X's are scene breaks, italics are usually thoughts. Enjoy and as always, use your words.  
_

-x-

He shook violently, eyes closed tight. He couldn't shake the nightmares, they wouldn't go away. Teddy knew if he left the common room that a ward would trigger and wake his counselors, so he stayed there, curled up into a ball on that couch. Harry and Karrie had not returned to the camp yet. They had gone somewhere while he was with Tim and when he went to art, they weren't there. Harry might not keep away the nightmares but it helped, knowing that his friend was nearby. Tonight he didn't know where either of them were. It bothered him a little, because they were his friends and he worried about them, but it was not at the forefront of his mind at that moment. Because the monsters were back and he couldn't fight them off. Tomorrow was his birthday; birthdays had always been bad to him. He couldn't remember ever being happy on his birthday, it was a day of pain and humiliation. It was the day he was born and often times, it was the day he wished he hadn't been. He had tried, briefly, the year before to end this nightmare, but he couldn't. He hadn't been strong enough. Or perhaps he had been too strong. He wasn't sure, he was only twelve..no _thirteen_ now. So perhaps he should know more, being thirteen, but it wasn't like he would change over night. Right now, he wished Tim hadn't taken his blades. He could conjure one, but it was not his strong suit and he wasn't sure he even knew how just yet. They hadn't learned conjuring yet, just cheering charms and simple spells. Nothing that he could harm himself with. He needed the pain, he needed to clear his head, to make the demons go away. To punish himself. Because he was bad, tainted. Shaking.

"Teddy?"

He shrank further back into the couch, his arms moving automatically to protect his head. He knew that voice though. The voice had never hurt him, not yet anyway, so he didn't think he would. But he might, people were unpredictable that way.

Charlie stopped moving, watching the child careful. He had to be in the throes of a nightmare or flashback. "I won't hurt you, Teddy. You are safe. You are at Hogwarts, at camp." He stated softly, crouching slowly, still quite a bit away from the child. He didn't want to be looming over the boy, it might upset him. He did have a feeling, though, that this might be beyond his level of help. That he might have to call in reinforcements. And he would, if needed.

He took a deep breath, trying to lock down his mind once more. But it wasn't working. He knew, rationally, that Charlie would not hurt him...but that didn't make him any less afraid. He lowered his arms slowly, eyes open and staring blankly into the dark. He wasn't sure how the man had even know he was there, but it didn't really matter. He just wanted to be alone. And to cut. But Teddy knew that Charlie probably wouldn't agree with either of those ideas. After all, he was an adult and adults were weird about things like that.

"Teddy? Could you tell me what's wrong please?" Charlie asked softly. A rapid head shake was his only answer. He bit back a sigh, rocking back on his heels. He couldn't help the child if he refused to tell him what was wrong. He could see that the child was terrified, but he didn't know of what or why. "Did you have a bad dream, Teddy?" No answer. Perhaps if he kept talking, the child would answer. Even if he didn't, it might make him feel safer. He knew it used to make him feel safer, when someone would just talk to him; it helped him out of his own nightmares. Perhaps it would help this child. It was worth a try. "You are safe here, Teddy. Whatever has upset you cannot harm you here. Nothing will harm you here."

Teddy calmed a bit more, breathing slowly. He couldn't talk about it, he knew that. But Charlie also made him feel safer. Much safer. He wasn't alone now and that helped greatly. It was much better than trying to handle the demons in his mind and the daunting shadows surrounding him alone. The light globe in the bunks helped with the shadows a bit but there was no light globe out here. The shadows taunted him, making him think that something was there when it wasn't. He hated that. He was no child, to be afraid of the dark. No, he wasn't afraid. But it was terrifying sometimes, when his mind would not quiet. Like tonight. His mind was too loud, his thoughts too wild. He couldn't control it, couldn't stop it. And that scared him. Because he needed control, so badly. That's why he harmed himself sometimes. For the control. He also deserved the pain but that was a different matter entirely. "Sorry Charlie. Couldn't sleep." He murmured finally, voice rough.

He might wear a bland mask but the child could not hide the emotional drain in his voice or the fear in his eyes. It was moments like these when he thought that boy seemed much older than he actually was. And he got that, Charlie understood the reasoning for it well. But that didn't make it any easier. "That's quite alright Teddy. Would you like to talk about it?" He questioned softly, watching the child fidget and shake. The boy was still shaking badly but not as much as he had been.

Teddy shook his head, eyes on his hands. He wished he could just dig his nails into his arms, but Charlie would see and that would be bad. He couldn't hurt himself in front of people, he just couldn't. And while Tim had told him that he could tell them when he felt like hurting himself, he didn't think he could. He couldn't hurt himself and he couldn't speak about it. Because if he did it would feel real again and he didn't want it to be real. He didn't want to think about his birthday. He didn't want to remember. He shivered, shaking the feeling of imaginary hands away. He was safe here, mostly. Most importantly, his father wasn't here. But that didn't get the images out of his head, that didn't make his mind shut up. No, if anything it seemed to become louder. Because he was bad. Dirty. Tainted. Worthless.

"Teddy?" Charlie called gently, frowning at the glazed over expression. He knew that expression, he had seen it occasionally during his time training to work with children. But he also seen it often in the group sessions. There was often one child with that absent expression, that one child who was, one way or another, triggered into a flashback or deep in the depths of their own mind. He had become something of an expert of drawing a child out of their own mind but he wasn't sure if he could, this time. Because even as he watched, Teddy seemed to be locking down. His breaths came faster, in gasps, and his body was rigid, tense. The child was close to have a panic attack and he didn't even know the cause!

_Dirty little freak._ No. _ Such a monster, you are. _Please. _ You deserve this, don't you? _ No..yes. He groaned, trying to force the thoughts down once more. He had been alright, briefly, when Charlie had started trying to calm him. But it was back with a vengeance now. Because he was bad and he deserved it. He deserved the pain, mental and physical. He knew that. It was becoming harder to breathe, his chest was starting to hurt. He only knew one way to make it better, to make it so he could breathe. He couldn't calm his mind so he did the next best thing. His fingers found a scab near his shoulder and he scratched it off, groaning with relief as the pain allow his lungs to expand and constrict. He scratched off another scab and then another, fighting down a shudder. It hurt but it felt good. The pain felt good.

Charlie dropped his hand from his pendent, hesitating for a moment. If he touched the child, he might send him into a flashback or deeper in one. But if he didn't...he gently took the small wrist in his grasp, rubbing a small circle with his thumb against the boy's wrist when he tried to jerk away. "Shh. Steady there, Teddy. I won't hurt you. But I can't have you harming yourself either. Take a deep breath for me, alright?" He instructed quietly, not bothering to look when he heard the floo go off.

He took the requested breath, shaking slightly. Charlie had startled him for a moment but the pain was helping, even if the nightmares were still fighting for his attention. He could push them back a bit now, his eyes focusing on the blood spilling down his arm. Charlie wouldn't heal him; the older man would realize how foolish that would be. He didn't want to be healed. He needed the pain. Desperately. He needed much more, actually. But he was not dumb enough to think that Charlie would allow that.

Tim surveyed the pair on the couch for a moment before sticking his head back into the floo briefly. He would take Teddy back to Alexis' quarters, where he had been, if the child was alright with that. Hopefully, he would feel safe enough there to speak with them. He might take Charlie with them as well...The young man looked like he needed someone to lean on. Or a stiff drink. He bit back a sigh, noting Teddy's sluggishly bleeding arm. That would need healing, then, if the young man let him. He wasn't so sure the boy would, but he _was _going to stop the bleeding. "Teddy, Charlie." He moved toward them slowly, making enough noise so as not to frighten Teddy. Brown eyes snapped to his before relaxing minutely. The child was still shaking, still fighting inner demons but he was with them. He would hopefully not have to draw a mind out of a flashback tonight. That was never pleasant, for the patient or himself. "Why don't the three of us go somewhere more comfortable...and better lit?" He suggested gently, crouching down near Teddy.

Teddy hesitated, eyes darting between the two adults. He was not blocked in. Actually, both seemed to be giving him as much space as he needed while still being _there_. That made him feel a bit better. And being somewhere with the lights actually on might help. If nothing else, his demons were a bit less scary in the light. "Where?"

He recognized the uncertainty in the child's voice and smiled. "Alexis has invited us to use her living quarters." Tim replied quietly, intently watching the small face. There was fear there, a lot of fear, but he wasn't sure what it was focused on.

Teddy forced his face to stay blank, though the very thought made his insides feel warmer. His Headmistress' quarters, although unknown, would be safe. Because she would be there, or around anyway, and she was safe. "May Charlie come?" He asked finally, glancing up.

Charlie blinked, staring at the child. Although he loved these children, he was still surprised that one of them would want him. Especially when Alexis was around, as that woman was quite good. Good at calming, at caring, at listening. He was not that good. He could not even get the child to tell him what was wrong.

"Of course he may, Teddy. Before we floo there, however, may I heal your arm?" Tim questioned, raising an eyebrow when the boy shrank back and started to shake again.

"No. Please...no." He whimpered. The pain was holding the monsters at bay. He needed it. Badly. Otherwise he would get drawn deeper into it. And he couldn't be. He couldn't talk about it and he didn't want to think about it. He just needed pain.

"I merely want to stop the bleeding, Teddy. I will not take away the pain if you wish." He bit back a sigh, holding out a hand to the child. He knew that the boy would understand the gesture. It was not the first time he had asked to heal him, after all. Teddy hesitated for a moment but finally a small hand was in his and he let a drop of healing magic flow up it, knitting skin back together. But he did not heal it completely, that would have just caused more problems. He left the wounds pink and scabbed, with the small bit of pain still there. It would do more harm than good to take away the boy's pain. It would also cause him to lose the fragile trust they were building. He released the child's hand, gesturing toward the floo. It was quite time they spoke about what was upsetting him.

-x-

Wide brown eyes were surveying her sitting room in what she assumed was surprise. Clearly the child had not expected her quarters to be so...homey. She hadn't either, to be honest. Alexis smiled softly at the child when he looked at her, noting the spark of fear etched in his eyes. She didn't like being in the dark, but she had a feeling that neither of the men knew what was wrong with her child either. "Welcome Teddy." She broke the silence finally, gesturing to an armchair and offering the child a mug of hot chocolate. Chocolate was an amazing calming agent.

Teddy accepted the drink with a frown, sniffing it for a moment before taking a hesitant sip. His father was one to put unpleasantness into his drinks..But he would not think about that. No. He felt safe now...well safer. He didn't think he would truly feel safe tonight. He was with his Headmistress and Tim and Charlie. They wouldn't let anyone harm him, although he did know they would try to get him to talk. He'd refuse. He easily could just stay silent.

Tim waited until they were all seated with mugs in hand before turning to the child once more. "Could you tell us what is bothering you, Teddy?" He raised an eyebrow when the child squirmed, not looking at any of them, but kept his expression calm. He was worried about the child, something was very wrong here.

He flinched, shaking his head slowly. He couldn't tell them. He couldn't. It would make it worse, not better. _You are bad. Dirty. Tainting others is unacceptable. _He shuddered, trying to shake the voice from his head. Perhaps he was going mad, to hear voices. But he doubted it. He knew that voice, knew it well. There was no mistaking his father; no forgetting the words he had spoken so often. Words that he repeated to himself even now, because they were true. He was bad. Wasn't he?

Alexis leaned forward, frowning slightly. The way the child was shaking was not good. She had seen such behaviour before, in patients who were recalling frightening memories or thoughts. "Teddy, we cannot help you unless we know what is going on. I know it is difficult, but please try to trust us. We will not harm you and we will not let harm come to you. I promised you that, remember? I would never break a promise." She stated finally, gray eyes meeting brown. She avoided Tim's gaze, knowing very well that while she would never break a promise to this child, or any of her students, she had broken a few to the other healer before. But she was merely human after all. This child was hurting; she needed him to open up, otherwise she could not help him and she hated her children suffering for any reason.

He bit his lip hard, absently digging his fingers into the soft flesh on the inside of his wrist. The monsters were still there, in the back of his mind. He could only fight them down for so long. But talking would get him beaten. He knew that. But he also knew that they would not let him leave until he said _something_, although he did not particularly want to leave just yet. He needed this feeling of safety. It wasn't that he didn't trust his professor or his healer, he did. He just...wasn't used to this. Wasn't used to adults caring about what was bothering him. Mr. Malfoy and Professor Snape cared, sure, but that was different somehow. And usually they would drop it after a while, when he kept refusing to answer. But he knew that Alexis and Tim, even Charlie, wouldn't just let it drop. Sometimes he wished they wouldn't care and he could think of quite a few things they could do with their care. Because caring made it difficult to remain indifferent, to be silent and just let the bad things happen. Their care made him feel safe and he did not deserve to feel safe. He was bad, after all. "I'm fine, Professor. Just couldn't sleep." He shrugged finally, staring down at his lap.

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes in an attempt to not snap her usual reply to such an obvious lie. For one, it would not help the situation. And for another, the child was not quite at an age to appreciate it just yet. "I am aware that you are breathing, Teddy. But that doesn't make you alright. " The blank return stare made her sigh. "A wise man once informed me that he thought 'I'm fine' was abused childese for 'at least I'm breathing'." She explained softly, raising an eyebrow when the child glared at her.

"I'm not abused!" Teddy growled, eyes dark. He wasn't abused. He had been treated correctly. He had deserved it. Perhaps what his father had done with not right, but he had deserved it. The man said so. Repeatedly. So it wasn't abuse. Not in his case, anyway.

Charlie snorted into his mug, shaking his head slightly. Hadn't he once thought much the same? Two pairs of eyes glanced at him but he turned to focus on the child instead. "Then I guess Harry wasn't abused. Or Karrie. Lexie and Elijah, Robert. Hannah. Benjamin, Michael, Daniel, Jamie, Ariana. Rose, Nicholas, Marko, Milo. If what happened to you was not abuse, then none of them were abused either, by your logic." He retorted silkily, naming the current members of the "E" group. The children who were so extremely abused that all of their guardianships' had been terminated and transferred either to the school or to a relative. Abuse that was so horrendous that seasoned healers paled or turned green, depending on the case. Abuse that made healers who regularly dealt with abused cases swear violently and break things. The look Tim was sending him made him squirm for a moment, but it was what the child needed to hear. Perhaps he should have worded it better, he just wanted the boy to realize what he was saying clearly, without any way to interpret it wrongly.

Teddy frowned, kicking his feet. Harry and Karrie had definitely been abused, from the definition Mr. Malfoy had once gave to his group of friends. Actually, everyone at the camp had suffered from some form of mistreatment, although he knew that the ones Charlie mentioned were really bad cases. They were all in his group. Which meant... "Fuck." He whispered, staring at the floor. He knew his father had been doing bad things. But he had never equated it with abuse. Because was it abuse if you deserved it? But then, that was the same question Michael had asked yesterday and Jake had been quick to inform them that none of them deserved to be treated like that. No one deserved such treatment. So why did he?

She could see the thoughts swirling around the child's head, ignoring the soft curse. She had said worse, after all. Charlie might not have much subtlety but his words were true. "_Kind?_" She questioned softly, drawing the child's attention to her. "What happened to you was wrong, I know it is hard to accept but it was. You did not deserve it. No one deserves to be abused."

Teddy nodded, blinking at the German word. The affection in it, however, told him that it was not a bad thing. Not at all. Knowing that it was bad didn't make the monsters go away. But he suspected that little would. Except... "It's... my birthday." He admitted finally, looking between his professor and Tim for a moment. For some reason, he really did want to be honest with them. But he just knew he would be beaten for it.

"Did something happen on your birthdays, Teddy?" Tim questioned gently, shifting forward slightly. The child looked like he could fall into a panic attack quickly. His only answer was a slight nod.

"Teddy...your father will never harm you again. I will not allow it. Do not be afraid to speak here. You are safe." Alexis remarked softly, gray eyes meeting brown. She wouldn't, either. That bastard of a man was lucky to be alive. He would never see the child again if she could help it, and she could.

He was safe and perhaps his father would never find out if he spoke about it. But was he brave enough to do so? He wasn't a Gryffindor, after all. He was a Slytherin; cunning, ambitious, bright, and sneaky. But Slytherins were also loyal to their true friends and brave when they needed to be; they just didn't take foolish risks or rush in without having six or seven backup plans. He could do this, he could at least tell them a little. He trusted them and knew honesty would even help him feel better. "He...a lot happened on my birthdays. Usually he belted me...and then that night he always did the bad things. Because I took my mother from him." He spoke hesitantly, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. He didn't want to see their disgust or pity.

"I will have to ask Lucius for exact dates, but I am quite sure that your mother passed when you were a toddler, Teddy. From a disease not commonly found in the wizarding community. You did not take her from your father." Alexis clarified softly, gray eyes warm. But inside she was ice. The vile man blamed his son, who had only been two or three and could not ever remember his mother, for her death? It was cruel but it had probably served the man's purposes to make Teddy feel like he deserved such abuse. It was worrying, the way Teddy spoke of the 'bad' things. She was almost afraid to ask. But she could guess at his meaning.

"Your mother's death was not your fault. Nor does her death excuse your father's behaviour. What were the bad things, Teddy?" Tim inquired, eyebrows knitting together. Some people should not be allowed to have children. But if they didn't, these wonderful, insightful, intelligent, hurting individuals would not be part of this world. It would be better if their children were taken away and raised properly earlier on, so that these children could be nurture and loved. Taught to accept care without question and love without suspicion. But life was not always ideal and he could not fix the world. His only hope, his only goals, were to heal these children. Because they needed someone desperately. Someone to listen, someone to care. And sometimes, as in the case of Alexis and Severus, someone to guide and correct them. Someone to teach and love them. They did not need, nor deserve, cruelty or abuse. No one did.

"Erm.." He couldn't speak of the bad things. Could he? They would think he was dirty and tainted. They'd really know how much of a freak he really was. His breathing got shorter and he closed his eyes, forcing the panic down. It wouldn't make them stop caring, he had to believe that. He just had to.

Charlie hesitated, but he could see the panic building in the younger boy. The child's fingers were already starting to cut into his wrist. He could easily guess what the bad things were, from group discussions and his own childhood. It was a risk but he also knew how it felt to find out the he wasn't alone. That someone else had been there too. Someone else had felt that dirty, that _used_. "It's hard to talk about the bad things, Teddy. But talking makes it better. If it makes it any easier, I'll tell you a secret of mine." He said finally, catching the child's eyes. He ignored Tim and Alexis for the moment, knowing that if he looked at them he would lose his nerve. It didn't help that he had told no one this, ever, and yet he was about to revel it to a newly turned thirteen year old and two older adults who he looked up to. Teddy gave a small nod and he bit his lip, not knowing the best way to phrase it. Bluntly would not work here, not for either of them. He knew Jake and Mary suspected, after a few interesting group meetings that left him a bit...snappy. "When I was younger my fa..friend forced himself on me, several times." The gasp that met his statement was not surprising. He knew the child understood his meaning clearly.

"But you're so strong." Teddy protested, eyes wide. If someone like Charlie had been...hurt like him, then maybe he wasn't alone. He knew Karrie had been raped, but that was different. She was a girl.

Alexis' eyes narrowed, not having missed his fumble before he said it was a friend. So Charlie's father had raped him...and no one ever caught this. Hogwarts had failed so many. No more. She wouldn't let it happen any more. Her students deserved better.

"So are you. It doesn't make you weak or dirty, Teddy. Just hurt. It happens to so many people. It isn't right, but it does. Now, your turn." Charlie shrugged, raising an eyebrow at the child. Hopefully the boy would not repeat it to anyone, but he didn't think he would. Teddy was smart, after all. He would know a secret when he heard one.

"My father...did a lot of things. I don't know what some of them are called but the last two years he...forced himself on me." Teddy murmured finally. Forced was better than raped, anyway. At least to his mind. He shook slightly, not daring to look up. He didn't want to see their pity and disgust. Although, Charlie had been..hurt too, and they didn't look at him like that.

"What your father did was not your fault Teddy. He was in the wrong here. No one deserves to be treated like that, ever." Tim remark finally, causing brown eyes to look up at him. There was no pity on his face, nor would there be. The child did not need pity. He needed love and understanding. And although he would like to explore the subject of the child's abuse, especially now that he was admitting to the sexual abuse, it was late and the child was visibly still shaken. Exhausted.

Alexis frowned, watching the child shake still. He was hurting and he needed comfort but the child would not ask for it, she knew that. She beckoned to him with a soft smile, setting her tea aside. Her body ached and she was tired, but she was also quite willing to hug this child, if he would allow it.

Teddy hesitated, turning the thoughts over in his head. His father had always told him that he was bad and that he didn't deserve comfort, but his father had hurt him and Tim said that was bad. It wasn't his fault. He wasn't bad, perhaps. Just...hurt. He stood slowly, took a deep breath and finally gave in, throwing himself into her welcoming arms and crawling onto her lap. He shifted slightly so that his weight, light as it was, wouldn't hurt his professor. She was too skinny, after all.

She held him tight, rocking him softly and whispering comforting words into his ear. He wasn't crying but he was shaking still. Slowly he calmed down and she could feel the child relaxing in her arms. She glanced over his head and frowned slightly, catching Tim's eyes. He merely nodded, turning back to the young man in front of him.

Charlie shook slightly, staring blankly at his lap. He had never told anyone that before and yet, he just told a child. What he would do for a fire whiskey about now. A warm hand rested on his shoulder, causing him to force back a flinch. A gentle hand grasped his chin, lifting his eyes up to meet brown.

"Deep breaths, Charlie. You are safe and cared for now. By Merlin, if it takes Alexis and I all summer, we will help you. You are not alone now." Tim murmured softly, squeezing the boy's shoulder. He felt the younger man relax slightly as blue eyes glistened with tears that he knew would not fall. The younger man would be alright, both of them would be. It would just take time.

-x-

"Teddy!" He grinned, racing across the room to his friend, Karrie following at a more subdue pace.

"Harry. Hallo Karrie." Teddy replied with a smile, eyes taking in the room. It wasn't a very large room but it was big enough for a small party and that was what they were having. He was still a bit afraid, though he would never said it aloud. But he knew he was safe. He had woken up in a bed next to Bain this morning; the older boy had a room in Alexis' quarters as well as at the camp, apparently he had also had a bad day yesterday. His professor had reassured him once more, at breakfast, that he was safe and that she would let no one harm him. For some reason, he believed her. But that didn't stop the fear from rising.

"Hallo Teddy. Happy Birthday." Karrie touched his arm softly, a Slytherin gesture of comfort that Millie had taught her. She understood the disdain for birthdays. Hers had always been a bit...sad. But she was actually looking for to August, when she would finally celebrate a birthday with her friends. Besides, she felt safe with the boys, even after yesterday.

"Thanks Karrie." He glanced toward the door and smirked, nodding toward the small group bickering there. "It seems that the rest of our friends have arrived." He stated dryly, causing his two friends to turn toward the door. He did a quick mental count and frowned. He didn't see Neville in the group, but perhaps he was behind Blaise? The Italian was bigger than him, after all.

"'Ello Mate!" Blaise grinned, striving forward with Draco beside him.

"Once more, Mr. Zabini. Speak properly." Lucius scolded, bringing up the rear of the group. He turned back to Alexis and Severus, shaking his head. "I swear that child is pushing for more lessons."

Draco smirked, catching Teddy's eye. Both of them knew that the Italian would just dissolve into worse speech patterns to irritated his father. Blaise was like that. "Good afternoon." He greeted pleasantly, knowing better than to ignore his upbringing. He glanced toward the girls and sighed. They had been trying to get Neville to relax but it wasn't really working.

Karrie frowned, moving toward her friends. Millie and Daphne were focused on someone behind them and as she got closer, she realized exactly who it was. "Millie, Daphne." She greeted softly, before turning green eyes back to Neville. "Calm down Longbottom, or I'll hex you." She added, grinning at the boy. Neville hesitated but grinned back, relaxing quickly.

"Well damn. If we knew threats worked, we would have tried it sooner." The linting, loud tone of Blaise came. His accent was still thick sometimes, even after years of trying to sound more English.

"Mr. Zabini!" Lucius scolded, shaking his head. That boy was going to turn him gray faster than his own sons.

"Only Karrie is allowed to threaten me." Neville growled, locking eyes with the slightly smaller girl.

"Alright, children. Everyone take a seat and we shall start with cake." Alexis ordered, biting back a sigh. There were only eight children there, but she had a feeling that eight would be more than enough. Especially with only three adults and Bain to supervise. She knew that Charlie and Phil had already given the child their gifts, since they did have nine other boys to mind. It was going to be a long evening.

-x-

Millie frowned, shaking her head. It didn't matter what Karrie said, she wasn't going to tell Mr. Malfoy. "Come on, Karrie. It's Teddy's birthday, so just drop it."

Karrie scowled but gave in. If her friend wouldn't tell, then she would. And soon. She turned her eyes back to the group of boys, who were acting out some ridiculous story with the dragons and other magical creatures. "Alright. Let's get Neville to play." She murmured finally, striding toward the shy boy and looping her arm around his before pulling him into the middle of the dragon battle.

"Oh no! It's the magical Unicorns! They'd come to stop the Red Dragon's army!" Millie shrieked, grabbing one of the free dragons and flying it dramatically toward Karrie and Neville. The boys and Daphne paused in their mock battle for a moment before Teddy grinned and tossed two of the Unicorns to Karrie and Neville.

"Defend Old White, my unicorns!" He cried, falling to the ground with his dragon and making it crash spectularly to the ground.

"He's injured! Oh no!" Harry shouted, his own black dragon spewing puffs of smoke as he brought it to hoover above Teddy's old White, the one he was proud to have given his friend. He turned it toward Draco's army so that Sparky, the black dragon, could defend Old White.

Karrie grinned, her unicorn flying through the air with her to tackle Blaise's green dragon. "Take that, you vile being!"

"Hey! Unicorns can't fly!" Blaise protested, dive bombing her unicorn with his dragon.

"Magical Unicorns can!" Karrie retorted, spearing the dragon with her silver unicorns horn.

Neville smirked, his own Unicorn trampling over a fallen small Red. "You'll never conquer us!"

"Oh yeah?" Daphne giggled, grabbing another dragon as her's was now out.

"All Unicorns are magical!" Blaise scowled, trying to pull his dragon free.

"Well some are more magical." Karrie shrugged.

"Nauh."

"Uhhuh"

"He can't fly, Karrie! It's cheating!" He snapped.

"_She_ can! You're out."

"No!"

"Yes!

"Your rules are stupid." He snapped, shoving her. He hadn't meant to, he didn't really think it through first. Nor had either of the pair noticed the adults that had started toward them. She didn't shove him back, which wasn't really surprising if he thought about it. But he had forgotten that he was playing with Karrie, who wasn't used to roughhousing like the other boys were. Even though Teddy and Harry were reluctant to rough house. He froze when she hit the ground, frowning when she started to shake. Uh-oh. That was bad. He hadn't meant to hurt her. He had just been getting frustrated. He jumped when a firm hand landed on his shoulder, tilting his head back to look up into Mr. Malfoy's face. He was in trouble now.

Karrie trembled, staying where she had landed. She knew Blaise had just been playing but...she couldn't play rough like that. She couldn't. It surprised her that before anyone else reached her, Harry and Teddy had, dropping down beside her on either side. Neville also moved near her but he knew enough to keep his distance. They had all stopped playing when Blaise had shoved her. Which was unexpected. She hadn't meant to interrupt their game. She flinched back when a shadow loomed over her, feeling Teddy and Harry lean against her in silent support, before the shadow was gone and someone, an adult, was crouching in front of her.

"Karrie. You are safe. Breathe, child." Alexis murmured softly, for the ears of her three charges alone. The children had been playing so well and then this happened. She knew that these three children did not play often, did not act like the children they actually were. And she hated that; for soon they would believe that they were too old to play such games. But they were not.

Karrie took a shuddering breath, trying to still her panic. She had to keep face, even if they were her friends, she knew that. She couldn't let them see her fall apart, not over something as simple as a shove. And she knew he hadn't meant to harm her. He had just been being hot-headed Blaise, who often acted without thought. The Headmistress' presence was calming, even as the woman whispered calming words to her. She knew Teddy trusted her and that carried much weight, so she was not hesitant to trust the older woman. She knew instinctively that Alexis would never harm her and that she would do her best to protect her. She took a deep breath, slowly allowing her mind and body to calm.

She smiled softly at the child, waiting until she was calming down before offering her a hand. The girl was hesitant but took her hand finally and she pulled her to her feet, biting back a grin when the two boys stood automatically, still flanking their friend. She cast a silent, wandless diagnostic spell and nodded when it came back normal. The child wasn't hurt, at least not physically. "You alright, Karrie?" She murmured finally, meeting the young girl's eyes.

"Yes professor. I think I'm alright now." Karrie replied, equally soft, leaning against her two best friends. It had been less than a week, but the boys had quickly grown on her and she didn't want to be separated from them. They were stronger, in all ways, when they were together.

Alexis nodded, turning to find Lucius. She bit back a sigh, spotting the older man easily. He was directing the other children to cleaning up and getting their things together while keeping an eye on the boy in the corner. She knew that giving the child time to think over his behaviour had probably been the best course of actions, as he did seem to have a quick temper.

Lucius caught Alexis' eye and turned to the younger man. "Come Blaise." He ordered softly. The young teen shuffled out of the corner and over to him, biting his lip. He rested a gentle hand on his shoulder, placing a finger under the child's chin so that he had to meet his eyes. "We will work on it." He murmured gently. And they would, the child had to learn to control his temper. He knew the boy was bound to act out, his mother had just got married again, for the eighth time, and that meant another round of not knowing what to expect from his newest Stepfather. "Now, I believe you have something to say to Karrie?"

Blaise grimaced but nodded, turning and walking slowly over to his friends. The glares Teddy and Harry sent him made him feel much worse, but he understood why. He shouldn't have acted like that, he knew better. And of course, he kept finding himself in corners this week. First for getting in a fight with Draco and then for losing his temper with Neville. And now for this. For shoving Karrie, who hadn't deserved it at all. He couldn't even justify his actions this time. "I'm sorry Karrie. I was a right ass." He stated finally, meeting her eyes for a moment.

Lucius groaned, placing his head in his hands. That was not what he meant by an apology. He would have to fix that child's language, and soon.

"You were a right ass. But I forgive you." Karrie replied and smirked, raising an eyebrow at him. He grinned in response. All was well between them then.

"Mr. Zabini, . I do not want to hear such language again, or I will wash both of your mouths out." Severus drawled from the door way, frowning at the two children. Alexis was no help here, she looking like she was trying desperately not to laugh. Indeed, he also found their banter entertaining, but that did not mean he would have two children who fell into the habit of swearing. Especially if one of them was to become his ward. The chorus of 'yes sires' did not reassure him, not when they were said amongst giggles. It was time to take Harry and Karrie back to their quarters for the weekend; time for the manor brats to return home.

Lucius sighed, beckoning his charges to him, nodding to his two friends, and leading the five children toward the nearest floo. They would be back in a few weeks, he was sure, for Harry's birthday and then Karrie's. As well as the three coming to the manor for Neville's birthday. They children would get to see each other again soon and he would badly need a fire-whiskey before that.

-x-

Alexis watched the child sitting in her quarters, biting back a smile. She had invited him back her after the party, for a question she needed to ask him. Hopefully, Teddy, as well as Bain, would spend the weekend in her quarters. She had come to find that she liked having children here, whether they were these two or any of her dozen or so wards. Many of the children had spent an afternoon her, after learning that their parents had lost custody or given them up. Others had come for comfort when they needed it or when they landed in trouble. Her nineteen wards, if she counted Bain and didn't count Karrie, were a handful and someone was always in some form of trouble. She could not adopt them all and some of them already had other teachers interested in taking them in. Karrie, for instance, was soon going to be the ward of Severus and Remus, if the child agreed. The girl was already staying with them this weekend, as something of a trial period. She had been hesitant to do this today but she felt that this might be the best present she could give the child. "Teddy, there is something you should know. When Mr. Malfoy came this afternoon, he brought with him a guardianship form. For you. Your father has lost all of his rights and he can never touch you again." She remarked finally, gently.

Teddy blinked, face blank. He would not have been surprised if the man have not wanted him. But that he had been taken from him? That was shocking, that someone cared enough to take him away. He could only think of a handful who would care. Severus. Mr. Malfoy. Tim. Charlie. And...Alexis. "Do I have a new guardian, professor?" He asked finally, looking up at her. It didn't hurt as much as he thought it would, to be honest. He actually felt...relieved.

"You do. If that guardian is unacceptable, then we shall find you a guardian who you like. But if it is acceptable to you, I am your new guardian with the option to adopt you, should you agree wish, in a few months time." She explained quietly, fighting the urge to bite her lip. It was a nervous habit and she was a bit nervous. The child might not accept her, although he had already worked his way into her heart.

He froze, staring at her blankly for a moment. She wanted him? She _wanted_ him! And then Teddy did something that he would have once been ashamed of, since he was used to emotions being bad. But he didn't care now. Because she wanted him. So he was out of his chair and hugging her hard in a matter of seconds.

"I take it, that's a yes then." Alexis grinned, returning the hug and ruffling his hair.

"Is this a private party, or can anyone join?" Bain drawled from where he lounged against the door. So he know had a mother _and_ a brother. Perhaps Severus was right and life really did get better.

"Of course, Bain. We will have to set Teddy up his own room tomorrow. But for tonight, you can share." She teased, enlarging her chair was a wave of her hand. She was quite good at charms...just not transfiguration. The brown eyes that shone brightly up at hers and the red-headed teenager dropping beside her on the chair with a grin, was her only answer. Yes, perhaps being Headmistress would not be so bad after all. At least, it would have its good moments.

-x-))

_A/N- Alexis' definition of "fine" was not my invention. It comes from Paganaid's(whose name I believe I butchered)from the story_ "Dudley's Memories."_It is a wonderful story for those who want a more...canon related story. _

_Also, if the children seem young here, they are. They are merely twelve and thirteen. At that age I was till playing make believe with my sister, so I believe that they probably would too.  
_


	15. Use Your Words

A/N-_ Do not own. What's this? An update?! Sorry for the wait lovelies, I hope you enjoy. Someone said that there wasn't very much Harry/Severus scenes, so here is a chapter with TWO. There is also quite a long scene on Alexis, because I felt a bit more of her background needed to be written. Some of it is quite shocking but nothing is graphic, promise. A bit of swearing and Harry gets in trouble, as he is prone to do. Translations are provided at the bottom as needed, x's are scenes breaks. Italics are usually thoughts, but there is a letter here written in italics. As always, ironically enough, use your words.  
~Case_

-x-

"Dice it, Harry, _not _slice." Severus corrected quietly, watching the younger boy's attempts closely. The child would be a fine brewer if he just read the instructions fully. He was inventive but his knowledge could be expanded and he need practical experience. Perhaps that was why Severus was spending this fine Saturday morning brewing with the child. Well if they ever got to the brewing part, anyway.

Harry grumbled, glaring at the fennel in front of him. He was dicing it, at least he thought he was...although the fennel was still in pretty big pieces. He had just wanted to doing something with Severus! But this was frustrating. He glared at the herb, trying once more to get it right. When that didn't work, he slammed the knife down on the table, muttering a curse that Uncle had taught him.

He took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose for a moment. "Harry. Use your words, tell me what the problem is." Severus requested briskly, moving to stand beside the child.

"Don't understand." Harry muttered, glaring at the table. Dicing, slicing; it was all the same! Did it really matter how it was cut?

"What don't you understand, Harry?"

"What I'm doing wrong. It's all the same!" He flinched, knowing he shouldn't have spoken like that. Uncle would have cuffed him for it, at the _least_.

"Ah, I think I know the problem then. It is not the same. The size and cut of the ingredient can drastically change a potion. Too big and it might not break down properly in one potion, but too small will make it absorbed too fast. If...do you know how to cook?" Severus paused, thinking back on something the child had muttered in his sleep one night. Wary eyes and a slight nod were his only answers. It might be better to show the child on something besides fennel, to use an example that he would understand better. He taught all of his first years the proper preparation methods but he had a feeling that Harry had not been paying attention, or able to pay attention, that day. With that last thought he summoned two apples, setting one in front of the child. "Show me how you would dice an apple please."

Harry frowned, picking up the knife slowly. What was the point of this? Although he often thought that potions was similar to cooking, what did apples have to do with anything? But he knew better than to question, as the Dursleys had taught him years ago. Aunt Petunia had taught him how to dice apples to make the perfect pie and so he did that now, slicing the apple into three pieces and then cubing the pieces up, so that they were much smaller. "Done, sir."

He sighed. Sir again, then. "Good. Those are more than acceptable. Well done. Now, show me how to _slice _this apple." He drawled, sliding the other apple to the boy and inspecting the cubes. They were done well...if only the child applied the same techniques to his potions!

Green eyes blinked, staring openly up at the older man. _Well done? _He hadn't heard that often before, only here at school, and never from someone who was his guardian. Never. The men were always praising him, but he knew it was pretend. This, however, he could believe. Perhaps his professor actually meant to tell him that, perhaps he actually thought it was good. The most he would have gotten out of his aunt was a delicate sniff and a stiff nod. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, quickly slicing the apple into thin pieces, like he was making a cobbler.

Severus raised an eyebrow, glancing between the two piles of perfect cuts. "The difference between slicing and dicing is quite visible here. Your dicing should look like the cubes, although often smaller. Your fennel looks more like the apple slices. Does the example help you understand better?" He asked finally, turning to look at the child.

"Yes sir." Harry frowned at the two piles, glancing between them and his pile of fennel. _Sliced_ as it were. Oops. He picked up the knife again and started working on another piece of fennel, much slower this time but at least the fennel looked more like the cubes and less like chunks.

"Good Harry! Well done." Severus praised, examining the diced fennel. It was not perfect cubes, which was better actually. It was more of a finer dice and it was quite well done. "Alright, now slowly stir an ounce of fennel into the cauldron. Carefully, Harry!" He bit back a sigh, watch the hot solution sloop about for a moment before the child slowed down his stirring and added the fennel. The child merely nodded, focusing on the next step. He was happy that his ward wanted to brew, to be able to share this with the child. Now if they could just finish this healing potion.

-x-

"Be gentle to the furnishings boys!" Alexis called, ignoring the chuckles. She raised an eyebrow, listening for a moment as the bouncing seemed to stop. It shouldn't matter if she was a bit rough of the furniture, there was no need for the children to develop the same bad habits. Granted, she'd rather have them jumping on the beds than afraid of even speaking. She turned gray eyes back to the parchment in her hands, shaking her head when giggles exploded from the next room.

"Is that the form?" Severus asked, leaning forward in his chair slightly. It could be some other bit of paperwork, of course, but he knew most other work would take the teasing light from her eyes.

"Yes. Did you discuss it with Karrie already?" She asked, shrugging slightly. Her eyes went once more to the room where the three children were playing or chatting.

"Of course. She was quite...confused, to be honest. I believe she didn't understand why we would want her. But she agreed to a temporary guardianship, at least." Remus replied quietly, shaking his head sadly. The child had been more than confused; she had been downright upset. She had seemed to think it was a joke or a trick, but after a few hours of talking with her, and baking cookies, he had managed to convince her that they were serious. Of course, Harry was thrilled. He already saw Karrie as his best friend, so foster-sister wasn't much of a stretch. Hopefully, both guardianships would become something more permanent. As there was no contest for Karrie's and the child's parents would not even be considered, that was almost a certainty, if both parties still wanted it. Harry's, however, was not. There was another application in to adopt Harry, although without the necessary steps and signatures, as well as his relatives had yet to sign him over. WCW had seen it best, Lucius had made certain, that Harry would not be returned to his home. It was just a matter of having the damn muggles sign the form to terminate their custody without getting muggle child services involved. But they would if necessary. He'd be damned if his child was going back to that house.

She merely nodded, scanning the form once more. She finally scribbled her signature across one line, offering the form that Lucius had whipped up early this morning to Severus. He took it, read it quickly and signed his own name. He handed it back and she glanced at it once more, passing it to Remus. The other man didn't even read it, he just signed his name on the secondary guardian line and passed it back. Alexis scanned it, tapping the parchment with her wand. It glowed blue for a moment and then Fawkes flew down to her. The poor phoenix was so used to her sending these forms now that he just came automatically. She placed the rolled parchment in the waiting claw and the bird vanished in a flash of light. She loved that bird and she had come to care for Hogwart's guardian. Dumbledore had not been as good to the Phoenix as he should have been, but then the man had neglected his students and staff, even to the point of causing harm to those in his care by his actions and inactions. And Fawkes did not seem to might being used much like an owl, but then she only used him to send the guardianship forms and the forms to dissolve a guardianship. It also helped that Lucius always fed the damn phoenix bacon and the children under his care always gave the bird sweets. The phoenix was going to become fat. She frowned, gray eyes narrowing, when the bird flashed back in and dropped a scroll in her lap before flying to his perch. Lucius rarely sent return letters, unless something was wrong. She opened the letter and froze, eyes darting across the paper.

"Alexis?" Remus questioned, leaning forward in concern. The younger woman had started trembling, although it was a subtle tremble in her hands, a tap of her foot. Similar to the way Severus became when upset...or terrified. The black haired woman did not respond, but gray eyes turned to stone and then he felt the magic rippled around him. The tea cups shattered, he heard glass breaking from somewhere to the left of him, and the familiar sound of cracking wood. Severus had destroyed their living room enough times that the noises were familiar enough but also...odd. Muffled. He frowned as his mate moved at once, crouching in front of the younger woman and gently tugging the letter out of her hands.

"Alexis, look at me. _Alexis. _You are fine. You are at Hogwarts. Take a deep breath and for god's sake, control your magic woman. Before you bring the castle down around us."Severus growled, not glancing at the parchment. His eyes were locked with vacant gray but he knew she could still hear him. She took a breath, although a shaky breath, and he felt her magic draw back in. Empathic magic helped with potions, he could feel the magic, even if he could not always see it. Not as she did anyway. He had to look for the magic to see it, but strong magic, and strong wizards, he could feel immediately. Alexis had power but she also had talent. Her ability to bend and shape the energy around her was quite different than the brute force and strength that Dumbledore had had. That man had been powerful; she was not that powerful but strong enough. Strong as him, even. And her control was normally as good as his, so it was unusual that her magic would react this strongly to something. His mind could easily think the worse, that perhaps they couldn't get guardianship of Karrie or that their guardianship of Harry had been revoked. Even that Alexis' guardianship of Teddy had been revoked, which he doubted seriously. She had nineteen wards, which as Headmistress she was legally able to do. They would not revoke one, not when she was taking wonderful care of all of Hogwarts' children. "What happened?" He questioned finally, when she seemed to calm down enough.

Alexis shook her head, eyes blank. "Nothing. I'll be in my office. Watch the children, please." She remarked briskly, standing on shaking legs and striding to the door to her office. She hesitated, her hand on the knob, before shaking her head again and vanished through the door.

"That was...odd." Remus remarked dryly, brown eyes still on the closed door. He knew the three children were still in Teddy's room and Bain was studying, apparently, in his room, so that wasn't a problem. It was just odd, her behaviour was out of character. If she had a visitor in her office, then he could understand, but the flash of light that was the indicator for that had not gone off. There had been no reason for her to leave.

Severus scowled, glaring at the closed door for a moment before turning his attention to the letter still in his hand. She seemed to have not noticed he had it. He hesitated for a moment but opened it anyway. She was his sister, after all, and if something was upsetting her, he wanted to know. Sooner rather than later. He read it with a raised eyebrow and then read it again. With a growl he shoved the letter to Remus before stalking toward her office. He tried to open the door and hissed; apparently she had not only activated the wards but placed a stinging spell on the handle. He knew quite well that an unlocking spell would not work. Not this time. He murmured a curse under his breath, pacing the room rapidly for a moment. Remus had already set the room back to rights and now the slightly older man was scowling at the same letter he had just finished. Damn Alexis. Why did she always have to run?

_Alexis, this was on my desk this morning...I thought you should know first.- Lucius. __**Child-trader found dead! Jakob Retten, a German wizard, was accused of buying magical children and selling them to the highest bidder. Child slavery is forbidden in most societies... Retten was rumoured to have bought a highly valuable young witch nearly seventeen years ago. He had been rumoured to speak of this witch often and although no names have been given, this reporter can only venture a guess that perhaps the witch he mentions, also German, might be in a much better place now. Perhaps even working with our children...**_

Remus blinked, frowning at the article clipping. It wasn't from the Prophet, but from a well known international paper, one that was normally trusted. But for Alexis to react that way meant... "Alexis was _SOLD_ as a child?!" He growled, raising a silencing spell around the room. This was not a conversation, nor topic, for little ears.

"She- yes. I need to call Tim. Or Filius." Severus sighed, dropping into his chair.

"Perhaps both." Remus suggested softly, reaching for and grasping Severus' hand.

He merely nodded, grabbing his pendant with his free hand, summoning both of the older men. Even if Alexis would not want Filius, he did. Because he couldn't protect the younger woman from this and he couldn't comfort her. But he was hurting with her. Damn empathy. And they weren't even legally related yet! Or blood either, but they would be. Soon. Besides that, they might need Filius to unlock the office so that someone could enter.

"Severus?" Tim called, stepping out of the floo. A moment later and Filius followed with a deep frown.

"What's wrong son? And where's your sister?" The diminutive man questioned, eyes scanning the room quickly.

In answer the young man merely copied a piece of parchment and handed a piece to both of them. Tim frowned at him, before dropping his eyes to scan it. "Fuck!" He growled, dropping the article like it was hot. "Where is she?" He questioned quickly, raising an eyebrow when the younger man merely scowled and pointed at the office.

"I take it she warded herself in then. Which means she is either destroying the office or drinking herself to death." Filius remarked coolly, brows knitted. Lucius should have warned them first, before he told Alexis. Did the man not realize how she would react? Well no, actually, he probably hadn't. After all, he probably he just wanted to get her the notice as fast as possible, without considering what she might do first. Or he might have thought that she was at the place where she would speak of something that was bothering her. But he knew better. This child had been hurt badly; her first reaction was to shut down. Much like that of his soon-to-be grandchildren. The note written in the margins of the article, which was not from Lucius and had been circled, was a bit concerning. _Tell the Headmistress to watch out, or her darkest secrets will come back to haunt her. _

-x-

Alexis took a deep breath, eyes staring blankly at the wall. She had know, of course, that it would come out eventually. That was not the problem. It wasn't even that someone was threatening her, as she had noticed the small note. Someone wanted Lucius to know that they didn't approve of her. That was fine, she could handle that. But Retten was _dead_. He had rescued her twice in her life time. Perhaps even a third time, as Albus never could give a explanation as to why he showed up in that alley that night. He had sent her a letter, a few years before, but she had never opened it. No, it was still sealed even, in a locked box in her desk. She hesitated for a moment but opened a hidden compartment and pulled out the rosewood box. She tapped her wand to it thrice, closing her eyes when the lock clicked and the lid popped open. There were many things in this box that she had not looked at in years. Her darkest secrets indeed. With trembling hands she lifted an envelope out of the bottom, picking up a pendant with her other hand. She curled her fingers around the pendant, eyes focused on the letter. _Meine liebe Kind, Alexis. _Biting her lip, she sat the pendant down and opened the letter. She took a shaky breath, slowly focusing on the words on the parchment. _Damn._

_Child,_

_ If you are reading this, I have probably died. Know that I destroyed all blood spells I had of you after I sent this letter. The pendant will not help me find you anymore, although keep it. It had my magical signature in it and that will allow you access to the vault I am leaving you. You were my favourite child, know that. Because you were special. But if I had known that bastard would abuse you, I never would have left you with him. Rescuing you at thirteen, after you had ran away, was not my original plan. I had wanted you to grow up loved and cared for. As he voided the contract by harming you, however, every euro he ever took from you was placed in a vault. Every Euro I got from him was as well. I wish I had killed him when I had the chance. Your lovely foster father is the one who paid those goons to attack you. They would have killed you if the British wizard had not shown up. When I heard you were employed by him, I was quite pleased. I know you wondered who paid for your apprenticeship, I did. The first one, anyway. Rainwater refused my money when I found out you were with him. Don't vex the man; his hexes take a bit to wear off. I promised myself that I would not get attached to a child but I did. You were the first and only child I ever wanted to keep. And not because of your talents. No, the little girl who formed a barrier of energy around herself when she thought she would be beat, did not worm her way into my heart with her magic. But the road was not a place for a child. All of the money I had I split into vaults for each child I found. Most were not cases like yours, __bought from abuse. Most were bought because their families were starving and needed the extra cash. Each and every single child, save one, went to good homes, muggle and magical. When I learned you were a mind healer, I was thrilled. You would do well at it, healing had always been your passion. Especially hurt children. Good luck, my child. And be good. I hope you find a loving family one day, one who can care for you well. _

_ Jakob._

She took a shuddering breath, running her hand across her eyes. Tim had taken her as an apprentice when she was sixteen, two years after she started training with the hedge-witch; a year after she started apprenticing to another healer. That healer had found Tim and ended the apprenticeship, because he could only train her so much, She had been a prodigy and yet she had come from a bad background. Sold to a child-trader at the age of eight...well, given really. Retten had threatened to report them and have her taken away either way; his way they would get a bit of money for her. He found a pure-blood couple who could not have children and sold her to them for a high price. A very high price. She didn't even want to think about how much money he had left her, then. Even after a year of her apprenticeship and paying the hedge-witch for her living expenses. She didn't blame him for her foster father. The man was..not a good person and after his wife died, he grew much worse. She sighed when the door clicked and she heard it open. Filius must have undid her wards then. She had left loopholes for a reason, after all. The men were not above breaking down the door if they thought she was in danger. Especially Tim, the overprotective mentor that he was. Damn man.

"Alexis?" Filius questioned softly, moving slowly to the younger woman. Tim was a step behind him, shutting and silencing the door once more. He could see the trace of tears but there was little damage done to the office and no alcohol in sight. Perhaps she had taken his warning seriously then.

"I'm alright." She murmured, setting the German letter back inside the box. But she kept the pendant out, curling her hand around it once more.

"You are not. As much as it pains me, Retten did well by you. He had your well-being in mind and you, in turn, saw him as the only stable adult in your childhood. He cared for you in his own messed up way. So you are not alright." Tim retorted, frowning at the younger woman. Filius was proving that size didn't matter by squeezing Alexis' shoulder and offering comfort in the way he knew how. It did help, however, that the young woman was sitting and slumped down in her armchair.

"Jakob never harmed me. He made sure I was cared for and he taught me spells that saved my life." Alexis sighed, head in her hands. The man had sold her, yes. Twice, technically. Her feelings for him were confusing to say the least. He saved her from a bad situation, her birth parents would had killed her. Her foster father wasn't much better. He was a social worker in his own way, he had once told her. Because he did care for the children, he just turned a profit by charging a large 'adoption' fee. "Warum, Tim? Warum?" She murmured finally, looking up at the two men.

"Merlin only knows why, Alexis. He thought he was saving you, so he did. You would not have survived the system there, we both know it. He kept you from that. So for that, I am grateful." Tim responded softly, answering in English so that Filius would understand him as well.

"I am also grateful, for now I have a daughter. I am not please about what you had to go through before you came to us, but he did his best. Grieve for him, child. Because you can grieve now. We will protect you from any backlash from this article, as well as from everything else that we possibly can." Filius added, patting her arm gently. The next moment he was scooped into a tight hug before the young woman released him.

"Papa." She whispered, fighting back tears once more. It was the first time she had ever called him that, but it was also the first time it really sunk in. Jakob would be proud; she had a family now, a real one.

-x-

"What on earth?" Severus questioned, raising an eyebrow at the mess in their little kitchenette. Three children were grouped around the counter, silver cooking sheets sat in front of each. A large bowl of dough was between them and Remus was watching from the table with Bain. There was flour and dough _everywhere._

"The children wanted to make cookies." Remus shrugged, sharp eyes watching small hands use cookie cutters.

"We wanted to cheer the headmistress up." Teddy remarked quietly, brown eyes focused intently on the dragon he was cutting out.

Karrie grinned, placing her unicorns and elephants onto the tray and then sliding it carefully into the oven. "Sweets always make the older girls feel better when they're sad." She added, watching as Harry slid his own pan into the oven. Teddy finally added his and she set the timer, before splashing a bit of flour on Harry.

Bain bit back a snort, knowing quite well what the younger girl was referring to and also knowing that _that_ was not Alexis' problem. "How is she?" He asked softly, gazing over at the man when he sat down at the table with them.

"Grieving but she was feeling much better and missing the noise of her quarters when I left." He replied, equally quiet, running a hand through his hair.

"Why do sweets make girls feel better?" Harry questioned, frowning slightly. It had always been a mystery to him. He knew his aunt had always wanted chocolate at a certain time of each month and one of his teachers had always been snappy if she didn't have salt. He just wasn't quite sure why. He never asked before, because he wasn't suppose to ask questions and the time Dudley had asked his aunt, she had turned red and told him that he would learn about it when he was much older.

Teddy gaped briefly, staring at Harry. Granted, his sexual education was a bit more advanced than it should be, for his age, and he knew that they would cover puberty more in depth this year in their monthly health classes, the older years had warned them about it, but they already knew a bit about it. Except the first years, but even they learned fast. Severus made sure that his students were well educated in matters of their own bodies, he thought all of the houses did that. That all of them had a monthly, or occasionally weekly, health class for each year. "Don't Gryffindors have health class, Harry?" He asked, glancing at Karrie who had dissolved into giggles.

"No, does Slytherin?" Harry frowned, eyebrows knitting together. Teddy merely nodded.

"Ravenclaw does too. Although, I think that's because Professor Flitwick knows we'll just find the information on our own and he wants us to know the truth, not the devastating lies of human sexuality. " Karrie remarked, checking the cookies before shutting the oven once more.

Bain did snort this time; Filius had used the same speech on his year when they were younger. Devastating lies of sexuality indeed! "Hormones, Harry. That's what makes women crave sweets. It makes them feel much more...human." He chuckled finally, glancing at the two men. They seemed to be having a whispered conversation and it didn't look very good.

He felt like they were laughing at him. It didn't help that Teddy and Karrie were both snickering. He didn't like it. He hated being laugh at, treated like he was dumb. It wasn't his fault Gryffindors didn't have a health class. He knew the older ones usually learned about that stuff from books or from older siblings. So he didn't know what they were talking about, although he thought he heard about hormones from somewhere before, he just sure where, or what he heard, exactly. They still didn't have to laugh at him. It made him angry. He hated being laughed at. He bit his lip and stomped his foot, glaring at his two friends.

Teddy fell silent instantly, eyebrows knitting. "Harry?"

Harry glared at him, stomping his foot down again. He wasn't even quite sure why he was so angry. He just...was.

"Use your words, Harry." Remus requested, surveying the three children.

He was so tired of that phrase! He was not a child! He was a man, a man of all of twelve, but a man still! "I don't want to use my fucking words!" He snapped, glaring at the older man.

Severus bit back a sigh, raising an eyebrow at the child. "Go to your room, please." He instructed quietly. The child had the nerve to sneer at him. At him!

"No." He was pushing here and he knew it. But he didn't care. They'd get rid of him anyway. Eventually. And they had Karrie now, so they couldn't possibly need to children. He wasn't jealous or angry about Karrie becoming their ward. She was one of his best friends and like a sister; she deserved a family that loved her. He did not. He was a freak and eventually they'd tire of him. Better him than Karrie, anyway.

"Harry." He warned, his tone deadly quiet. Well, the child was no longer timid. But he did nothing in halves, oh no. But perhaps there was a reason for his behaviour.

Harry glared at him but his professor merely _looked_ at him and he gulped, turning and stomping to his room.

"Alright. Well, why don't we decorate these cookies. They should be done now." Remus suggested, moving to the oven and removing the hot pans. "Careful, Karrie!" He warned gently, stopping the small hand from grabbing the metal pan. He nodded to his partner and the younger man sighed, turning to speak to Bain for a moment before heading toward Harry's room.

-x-

Severus had gone to his office first, to find a book he used with his younger students. But he had stalled long enough and he needed to go speak with his ward. Remus was too much of a pushover to do it, although he wasn't much better himself. He knocked on the child's bedroom, entering at the soft _come in_. He bit back a sigh, surveying the child who sat quite rigidly on his bed. He clearly expected to be beaten, he could see that in his body language, in how he didn't even raise his head, at how his muscles were tense. He pulled up a chair, watching the child for a moment. "Relax, Harry. I just want to talk with you. Will you tell me why you are angry?"

He blinked, scowling down at his blankets for a moment. "I hate being laughed at." He muttered, not bothering to look up. It was half the truth, anyway.

"Your friends were not laughing at _you_, Harry. They are still at the age where some mentions of puberty is still funny. I believe it was Bain's attempt at an explanation that had them laughing." Severus explained quietly, quirking an eyebrow at the child. Perhaps that was what set off this episode, but the child had been on edge all day.

He still didn't understand what they had been laughing about but he did understand what his professor meant. Teddy had looked at him with concern when he first became angry; the other boy would never hurt him, even by laughing at him. He knew that. He finally gave a sullen nod, staring at his bed. He knew he was in trouble, so why didn't the man punish him already?

"What else has made you angry, Harry? Is it because we have added Karrie as our ward as well?" Severus questioned softly, knowing quite well that he wouldn't get a response from the child unless he asked. The boy would have learned from an early age to not volunteer any unasked for information, if only to save himself some hurt.

"I- no. Karrie needs someone to take care of her." Harry shrugged, worrying his lip.

"As do you."

He grimaced, shaking his head. His professor's tone was sincere, gentle, but he still could not accept that. They would tire of him soon or decide that he was better put to work than left idling about. After all, Aunt had always said that idle hands did the devil's work. Did they even believe in the devil?

"Harry. Look at me, please." He requested softly, catching the child's wrist when he dug his nails into his leg. Green eyes finally looked up at him, but didn't quite meet his own. That was alright, at least the child was looking at him, instead of at that damn blanket. "Our home, and hearts, are quite big enough for both you and Karrie. We did not take Karrie to replace you, nor could we. Once the six month trial is over, we were planning, hoping, to adopt you. Both of you. If you are alright with it, at that point in time. That is a while away, however. We do not need your decision now. But we have already made ours. You have stolen both of our hearts, Harry. There is no need to feel angry or upset over Karrie, although I do understand it. I once felt that same way." He kept a gentle grasp on the child's hand, meeting shocked green eyes when they finally met his. Every word was true. They loved the child as their own and he had once felt jealousy over another, believing that she might steal his surrogate father. Filius had been extremely displeased over his tantrum, which had been quite spectacular, and had a very similar discussion with him afterwards.

"But I'm just a freak! You'll tire of me! You shouldn't want me. I'm a freak!" He objected, startled.

Severus sighed, quite glad for the silencing spell he had cast over the room. Remus would have been very...upset to hear their child call himself a freak. "We will not 'tire' of you Harry. You are not a toy to be throw away when you are having a bad day or neglected when you are hurt. You are a child, to be loved and cherished for all that you are and all that you do. Whether that be the light in your eyes when you finally understand a potions concept or the stubborn set of your chin when you don't want to do something. The spark of fear in your eyes when you are in trouble, fear that you will be beat even though we promised that we never would; the furrowing of your brow when you are deep in thought; the way you know when your friends are hurt or scared before they say anything. We love you for all that you are, Remus and I do. You are our child now. You are not a freak, but a gifted young boy. We do want you, so very much Harry. I don't think our lives would be the same without you in them." He replied quietly, squeezing the child's hand gently. He could see the unshed tears glistening in emerald eyes, tears of a child who never knew what love was before. Had never felt loved or cared for. "It is alright, Harry. You are safe now. You can express your emotions here." He added softly, watching as a tear dripped down the child's face. He opened his arms to the child and received a lapful of preteen. Not a weeping preteen, but one who needed to make sure it was really real, so to speak. To remind himself that this was actually happening, that someone cared. The messy head of hair buried into his shoulder and he felt tears dripping onto his robes. He wrapped gentle arms around his child, rocking slightly with the boy until he was calm once more. He knew that this was not the last time they would have this conversation, but it was good enough for now. Nothing else he could say would convince the child; his actions needed to speak louder than words.

Harry pulled back from the hug but remained on his professor's lap, glancing up at his with a tear streaked face. He fought back a flinch when a wet flannel gently ran across his face, relaxing slightly in his guardian's arms.

"Now, as for your behaviour. It was unacceptable, although understandable. So, you will write me two sets of lines. The first "_I will use my words and control my temper."_ I believe twenty-five times shall be enough, this time. However, the next time you swear at us, your mouth will be washed out with soap. The second set of lines is a bit simpler. _"I am not a freak"_. Fifty times, if you please." He instructed, tipping the child's face up so that he could finish washing the tears off.

Harry grumbled and started to shift off the man's lap, but a strong hand stopped him. He glanced up at him, confused, but said nothing. His punishment was more than fair, although he wasn't sure about the second set of lines. His uncle would have beaten him for swearing at him, although not for swearing in general.

"You may write these lines later. I also have a book for you to start reading and I will answer any questions you have about it, or any that you can think of in general. It is a book about puberty, and yes, Harry, we will be having the sex talk. But not just yet. I do not talk to my Slytherins about intercourse until fourth year, although they know the basics of it. You will too, before the summer is out." Severus remarked in a very light, teasing tone. The child flushed but nodded anyway, leaning back against him. He tightened his arms around the child once more, content to just hold the soon to be thirteen year old for as long as the boy would let him. Because soon, the child would declare himself too hold for cuddling, and, although he would never admit it, he liked cuddling his children. So he would, for as long as possible.

-x-

A/N-_ So do you enjoy the bit about someone being out to get Alexis? I'm evil that way. _

_Meine liebe Kind- my dear child  
Warum- Why  
_

_Retten is a form of rescuer, or to rescue. I found it...fitting.  
~Case_


	16. Tempers Flare

A/N: Do not own. _Sorry this took so long but it is extra long so...There is no Harry, Teddy, or Karrie scenes here but this is a far-reaching guardian story. Meaning it focuses on more than just those three. I know, I know. You'll get Harry/Teddy/Karrie next chapter, I promise. Translations are at the bottom as needed. Fair warning, there is liberal use of a stinging spell and the brief swatting of an older teenager here. But it was necessary and although I hate to repeat myself, this will not become a corporeal punishment fic. So read, enjoy. Plenty of Alexis and Severus here. X's are scene breaks, italics are usually thoughts. I apologize for the rambliness of this note... I blame the antibiotics. _

_~Case_

-x-

"I thought I'd find you here."

She glanced up from her study of the distant sun rising over the lake, gray eyes finding the damn man almost instantly. "Tim. Shouldn't you be asleep?" The sun had not quite risen yet, the pink just reaching over the horizon now. She had been out here for...a while now, on this chilly Sunday morning. The children were all in their beds, the wards were intact and her chest felt heavy. So much to do in so little time, and now this. The threats, the grief, the pain. She only wanted to take care of these children, to guide and teach them, to forget her past. But she knew she couldn't just forget, couldn't just let go.

"Shouldn't you?" He retorted quietly, coming to stand beside her. The young woman had circles under her eyes, even with the glamour, and he knew she had not slept yet. The children would be up in a few hours and they would have to work once more, because children needed constant care and love. There was no days off here, even if there was a bit of free time. He wouldn't take a day off anyway; it was his love to help children, the reason he was alive. Currently, the one who needed him stood beside him with stony gray eyes and folded arms, shivering in the cold.

"I...couldn't. I'm fine, Tim. Just...brauche Zeit." She sighed, eyes staring off over the horizon once more. She could have seen all of this from the walkway around her tower, more actually, but she had needed the walk, just as she needed time. Time to think, time to breathe, time to just...feel.

" Die Zeit heilt alle Wunden." He quoted softly, resting a hand on her shoulder. It was an old proverb, one that was on the wall of his old mentor, when he had been just an apprentice. That had been years ago, but the saying still held truth.

"Nein. No. Time doesn't heal all. We just like to think it does." Alexis scowled, turning to look at him. She glanced toward the castle with a sigh, the children would be waking up soon and there were two in her quarters who needed her.

He just shook his head, following her gaze. "Shall we?" He inquired softly, keeping a steadying hand on her shoulder.

She gave a brisk nod, starting back up the path toward the castle. If nothing else was clear to her, on this Sunday morning, she knew that she was not alone and she didn't have to handle this alone. The threats, the grief, or the headache of getting fifty children to Diagon Alley for school supplies...thankfully, she still had a few weeks before that trip was needed. But still, she couldn't run this school alone and she wasn't quite sure how Dumbledore had. Perhaps that was part of the reason why Hogwarts was in such bad shape. But not for much longer, because these children came first and so did their education. They would make this school better, or she would die trying.

-x-

Alexis bit back a sigh, surveying the two boys who sat in front of her desk. Elijah and Derek...it was not the first time either boy had been in her office for fighting, but it was the first time for fighting each other. Well...she really didn't want to think about what had almost happened at breakfast, in front of the younger children. Merlin! "Explain, now." She ordered softly, dangerously. Neither boy looked at her. Derek was glaring at her desk and Elijah was staring at his sneakers, bouncing his leg up and down. She had already checked each teenager for injuries; they had been lucky, this time. Neither of the hexes hit and Henry had been close enough to throw up a shield to protect the younger children. She had sent the boys to her office and taken the walk up here to calm down. Someone could have been seriously hurt. Both boys were prone to hitting first, not hexing. It was...odd.

"It was his fault, Professor." Derek mumbled finally, not looking up at her. He hoped she would actually believe him, because it had been Elijah's fault. The other boy had provoked him! Well...alright, he had hexed first, but still. His father had taught him to strike first and he never would have spoken back to his father, not as Elijah had to him. He would have been beaten. But did that make him right? Because Henry said that his father had not been right and his healer, Lucas, had agreed. But maybe they were wrong and his father had the right of it? He wasn't sure anymore and the Professor looked pissed at them.

"Elijah? Tell me what happened please." She requested finally, frowning at the bigger blond for a moment before turning her eyes back to Elijah. She knew that both boys had a temper, and Elijah's was often volatile, but that did not excuse their actions.

The brown-haired child bit his lip, twisting his hands about for a moment. She wouldn't believe him, no one ever did. He peaked up for a brief moment and caught her eyes for a second. She was clearly displeased with them but when her eyes met his they had soften, just a bit. He trusted the Headmistress, she was always kind to him, even when he lashed out at someone. He hadn't lashed out this time, nor did he start it. "Derek was saying...things, Professor. Robert told him to stop but he just sneered at him and then I...snapped at him to stop being such a dick. So he tried to hex me and I hexed back." Elijah grimaced, shaking his head. It had been instinct to react by hexing back. The same instinct that made him go on the defensive when he was beaten. But he wouldn't be beaten here, he knew that. He also knew that he was very lucky that his hex hadn't hit. He had cast the first spell to pop into his mind, a bone-vanishing hex. The headmistress would have been very...unhappy with him. Hell he would have been unhappy with himself. He was no bully and he didn't like to hurt others, he just reacted sometimes. Much like the idiot boy beside him. He, however, knew that what his father had done to him had been wrong, abuse. The other teenager just seemed to spout what he had heard his whole life. Idiot.

She nodded slowly, turning her eyes back to Derek. From what she had seen, that fit quite well. Although it had happened fast, Derek had been the one to draw first; she had noticed that from her seat, but she had been hoping the boys would be honest with her. Well, at least one of them was. "Derek? What sort of _things_ were you saying?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow when the child merely shrugged at her. "Mr. Ralon, when I ask you a question I expect a verbal answer." She added silkily. Elijah was fidgeting in his seat, knowing that tone she was using. Alexis was quickly reaching the end of her patience with the blond.

"Yes ma'am." Derek grumbled, kicking his feet for a moment. If he told her what he said, he knew she wouldn't be happy. Henry kept getting on him for saying such things, but he didn't understand why! His father had said them, after all, so they must be true. They must! But she was just going to get angry if he didn't tell her. Either way, she'd be mad at him and he didn't want her to be mad at him. She was scary when she was angry. "You'll be angry." He answered finally, glancing up at her with a gulp.

She bit back a sigh, resting her hands on the top of the desk. Standing imposingly only worked for so long, after all. Besides that, she didn't need the boys to be afraid of her. With that in mind she moved to a clear space and sat on the edge of her desk, gray orbs focused on the two boys in front of her. "Perhaps I will be displeased and disappointed, Derek. But I will never harm you, no matter how upset your words make me. I will never harm either of you." She reassured quietly, softer this time. She caught Elijah's eyes for a moment and the child nodded, showing that he understood, before turning back to Derek.

He hesitated, biting the inside of his cheek for a moment before giving a slight nod. He believed her, even if he never would have believed his father, if the man had said such things. He wouldn't have, of course, but that didn't matter so much anymore. "I said...that the fairies and the cocksuckers were..bad." He mumbled, flushing slightly. Perhaps his phrasing was a bit, quite a bit, more offensive, but he knew better than to repeat _those_ words in front of her, lest his mouth be washed out.

Elijah grunted, shaking his head. That was not what the other boy had said, not exactly. But then, he knew why the other boy wouldn't want to say them. Hell, he didn't want to say them. Those words made his face burn and he didn't even understand a few of them!

"I take it, it was a bit worse than that, yes? I do get the gist, however." She shook her head, not quite sure what to do with the child yet. She couldn't let this continue any longer but she wasn't sure that the child wasn't just repeating words he had heard before; had been into him, most likely. "Elijah, do you remember where the sitting room is?" She asked suddenly, turning her gaze back to the skinnier child. The boy blinked but gave a hesitant nod, glancing toward the closed door to her quarters. The child had been in there enough this week, he'd been in her office nearly every day for one reason or another, and often she ended up taking him to her quarters for tea. "Go wait for me, please. We _will_ be having a discussion as soon as I have a private word with Derek." She ordered quietly.

Elijah grimaced, knowing very well that this discussion would involve him getting yet another lecture on his temper...hopefully she didn't know which spell he had cast, but he doubted that. She knew _everything._ He stood slowly, warily, but at her gentle nod and the light grip on his shoulder, he vanished through the doorway and onto the couch he so often sat on. And now the part he hated, the waiting.

"Tell me Derek, where did you learn these words?" She asked finally, after several moments of tense silence.

He grimaced, paling slightly. "My father."

"Do you believe them to be true?"

"My father said them, so they must be. Right?" He bit his lip, shrugging slightly. He didn't really know. Did he believe those words were mean? Yes, but he had heard them forever. Did he believe that...gays were bad? He wasn't sure. He only knew two. Professor Snape and his partner, Professor Lupin. Professor Snape was a difficult man but he had never been unkind to him. And Professor Lupin treated all the students well. He even gave him chocolate when he found him upset in the corridor one day. He didn't know what he believed, but he knew what his father had taught him and his father's word was law. Right?

"No Derek. It doesn't work that way child. I asked if you believed them, not your father." She replied gently, tapping her fingers twice against the desk. A tray with a mug of hot chocolate popped into the room. Minzi always knew what she needed. She offered the mug to the child, who took it slowly.

He fiddled with the mug for a moment, taking a careful sip of it. The chocolate warmed his stomach and calmed his nerves. He wasn't quite sure why it helped it think clearly, but it did. "I..I don't know, Professor." He responded quietly, flushing slightly. He didn't know what he believed anymore, not at all. Because who could he believe? His father? Or his counselors? Or perhaps he should just believe himself, what he thought to be true. That didn't mean he was right and it didn't mean he could change and learn new things, but wasn't it better to believe his own thoughts than to follow blindly? Isn't that what Lucas had tried to say?

She could see the understanding dawning in the child's eyes, the realization that not everything he was told would be the truth. That was a good step, at least. "You have to form your own opinions, Derek. You cannot allow someone else to form those opinions for you. I know it is difficult to break away from your upbringing, but you must try. You are not your father and your father is not here. You do not have to treat others badly because of his opinions, nor for his approval. I want you to think about it, alright? This is my assignment for you. Think about what _you_ believe and what you know to be true. Write an essay on it, you have until next Sunday." She stated briskly, waiting until he had finished the chocolate drink.

"Yes Professor." He murmured, standing slowly. That didn't really sound like a punishment but he was perfectly fine with that.

"A moment, Derek." She called, forcing down a sigh when the child turned back toward her. "This bullying must stop now, understand? For the fight, you are restricted to your bunk room for the rest of the day, not including meals. I also want a list of the words you used and their meanings, as well as lines, by tomorrow afternoon."

He grimaced but nodded. It was fair, after all. "What are the lines, Professor?"

"Let's try 'I will stop calling others names'. Fifty times, please." She gave a nod of dismissal and the child bolted out the door. Alexis groaned, running her hand through her hair for a moment. She still had to speak with Elijah. With that thought she stood, stalking into the other room. The teenager startled briefly when she appeared but said nothing. "Did you know what the spell you cast would do?" She asked softly, her tone dangerous. His answer would define his own consequences. She hoped to the gods that he had not, but she doubted that.

Elijah shifted restlessly for a moment, staring at the floor. She did not sound happy and he knew it would only get worse. Because he _had_ known but he hadn't meant to cast that spell. It just...happened. "Yes ma'am." He whispered finally, digging his fingers into the couch.

She took a deep breath, pacing the room for a few tense moments. He had knowingly cast a spell that could have been fatal, could have hit a bystander. The spell vanished bones and damaged tissue, a healers spell for removing crushed bones to regrow healthy ones usually. But as a curse and used by a teenager, someone without the knowledge to control the spell, without the precision, the curse could have easily vanished tissue or organs that were essential, like part of a _lung_. She had seen such mistakes happen before and it was not a pretty sight. Derek could have been killed; the child might be a bully but that wasn't a reason to cast such a spell! She forced herself to calm down, finally moving a straight-back chair and sitting down a few feet in front of the child. Damn it. She could see the fear in his eyes, fear that she would turn from him or not care for him, which she wouldn't. She just wasn't quite sure what to do yet. "Explain." She ordered quietly, leaning forward and resting her hands on her knees.

He gulped, closing his eyes for a moment. What was he suppose to say? If he told her the truth, it would just cause more problems. He didn't like it when she looked at him like that, it never boded well. She was disappointed and angry and he hated that. He hated causing her to be angry at him. He had only wanted to make the other boy shut up! And so he had cast. He shook his head finally, trembling slightly.

"I don't think you understand the consequences if that spell would have hit, Elijah. You could have killed him _or_ one of the other children. He may be a bully, but no one deserves that type of death. You would have ended up in a juvenile facility, because the ministry would have considered you dangerous and there would have been little we could have done. As it is, you are in a lot of trouble. I need you to talk to me, Elijah. Trust me to help you." She remarked after a moment, gray eyes intently watching this boy. She was not lying to him. The ministry would have deemed him unreachable and tried to remove him from Hogwarts and her care. She would have been able to fight it but it wouldn't have done much good. Accidents happened, yes, but was it an accident? She wasn't sure. The child was not malicious nor was he a bad kid. He was a good kid, just a hurting one.

He took a shaky breathing, nodding slowly. She needed to know the truth, even if she hated him for it. "I didn't mean to cast it. But it was the first spell to run through my mind and I wanted him to shut up. I didn't want to hurt him professor! I cast it but I pushed it toward the ground so that it wouldn't hit anyone. I just...I was angry. I'm sorry, professor." His voice cracked and he flushed, eyes darting up to her before back to the floor.

Alexis blinked, arching a brow at the child. He had pushed it to the floor? That explained a lot then. So perhaps not an accident, but a show of force. It was also a show of actively trying not to harm someone, the first time this young man had showed that. But they needed to work on his control, especially if he just cast the first spell to enter his mind, "You must control that temper or it will land you in serious trouble." She sighed when he merely flushed, for she did know what it was like to have a volatile temper. She also remembered quite clearly how Tim had reigned hers in. Meditation, talking it out, and a liberal use of stinging spells. Plus a memorable trip over the man's knees when she had attacked someone...again. But that had been years before, when she was much younger. Alright, she had been a few years older than the young man in front of her, and perhaps it wasn't _that_ long ago but still.

"I'm trying, Alexis. I really am." He relaxed a bit, now that the anger was gone from her tone. She sounded concerned and disappointed, but not angry. Which wasn't that surprising, if he thought about it. She wasn't really ever that angry at them, just upset that they had been so stupid. Because she cared, which was still a bit odd feeling and he wasn't sure he would ever get used to it, but he did like being cared for and about. It made him feel like he was worth something, instead of worthless like his father had always said.

"I know you are. However, if I ever find out that you cast that spell again, at anyone, or any other fatal spell, you _will_ go over my knee. I expect you to think through your actions before doing them. I know that is difficult in fights and duels, but you should not reach for your darkest curses first." She scolded, smirking when the child flushed red. She would do it too. Stinging spells were good for much with older teens, and some adults, but there were situations where graver consequences were needed. Two, really. Putting one's life needlessly in danger and endangering someone elses. Hopefully, this child would at least try to think before he acted. "You are grounded to these quarters until Tuesday. I will teach you mediation this evening, I believe Bain will probably join us. You also owe me an essay, on what you could have done differently." She added quietly. The child grimaced but nodded. He knew it was fair. She pulled the child into a hug, to let him know that she really wasn't upset anymore, before directing him to one of the spare bedrooms. When the Castle made Teddy's room, it added several other rooms that could be used for guests or misbehaving students. Which was great for times like this. It was already becoming a very long day and she knew it would just get longer, but hopefully without any more fights.

-x-

The wards in his private lab was going off. It was Sunday, as per Remus' orders he was forgoing brewing to spend time with his partner and their wards. But the wards were going off. Severus growled, stalking toward the door. He knew who he would find inside, as only a few people knew where his private lab was and only one had regular access to it. But he had warned the boy about brewing alone, to at least let him know if he was going to be brewing. He opened the door carefully, raising the wards back up before turning sharp eyes on the young man standing over a cauldron, brewing. No. Throwing ingredients into the cauldron with no precision or sense of purpose. The anger rolling off of the boy was palpable. He swore under his breath, casting a stinging spell and throwing a shield around the cauldron. Half a second later, the boy yelped, spinning to face him and dropping a handful of monkshood. Damn it. "Start talking. Now." He snarled, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves back down.

Bain growled under his breath, shifting from foot to foot for a moment. That damn spell hurt! He knew he wasn't suppose to brew angry but it helped calm him down sometimes. And he just, didn't care. Didn't care if it exploded, or if he got hurt, or anything. Not right now anyway. "Just brewing, _sir._" He snapped, not even bothering to try to be respectful although he knew he would regret it later. Because he liked Severus and the man treated him fairly, treated him like he was one of his children sometimes. He knew many masters were cruel to their apprentices, but Severus was good to him. Except for that blasted spell. Damn man.

"What exactly were you brewing?" He inquired silkily, arching a brow at the child. When the boy paled and refused to meet his eyes, he growled. "Bain!" He had warned the child about experimenting alone! Didn't the boy care about his own safety? Did he even know what Alexis would do to him if something happened to the teenager? She'd _kill_ him and then Filius would be giving them both that disappointed look, the one that was usually followed by a swift stinging spell.

"What?" He scowled, glaring at the wall. He did remember the man's threats after all but...he didn't care. There was too much noise in his mind and he had needed to drown it out, to focus on brewing. Perhaps trying to experiment on a potion while he wasn't in his right mind wasn't the best idea, but what was the worse that could happen, really?

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes and counting to ten. "Corner. _Now._" He hissed, onyx eyes snapping up to bore into the younger man. The boy glared at him and huffed, folding his arms over his chest. "One...two.." The boy stomped to the corner, glaring at him once more before turning toward the wall. "You will cease this childish behaviour this instant." Severus growled, turning and pacing the length of the room. He counted in his head, in Russian, to force himself to calm down. There was no need to overreact but he did need to get to the bottom of this. To find out why this young man was acting so out of character. Bain was never this rude or disrespectful, the anger he could feel from the child was still very strong. Two years ago, Bain would have acted like this, did act like this actually. And he had ended up using stinging spells to get through that anger, so that he could talk to the child without being hexed. The teenager had only done that once and he knew that he never would again. He better not because he would follow through on his threats for that one. This time? Well he wasn't sure, just yet. He needed to know what caused this first.

Bain folded his arms over his chest, digging his fingers into his arms. He gritted his teeth, closing his eyes for a moment. He didn't want to think, he didn't want to talk. He just wanted to brew...or to hit something. His nostrils flared and he kicked at the wall, freezing when a strong hand landed on his shoulder.

"Enough Bain. _Enough_." He intoned softly, biting back a sigh when the child jerked away. He had already banished the mess of a potion and he knew the younger man needed to get control of his temper and his magic now, before he exploded something or hurt himself. "Let's go to my office." He ordered finally, stepping back so that the young man could leave the corner. He placed his hand back on the boy's shoulder, leading him through a doorway and down a short hall before holding open the door to his well warded office. Even if the child lost control of his magic here, he could do little damage. He had spells in-woven into the very walls for just this purpose; this was also where he taught students to mediate and control their emotions. He gestured with his hand, twitching his lips and nodding briskly when the desk and chairs neatly moved themselves against one wall. He glanced at the couch and it scooted back further, leaving a large portion of the carpeted floor clear. He finally turned back to the young man, raising an eyebrow.

Bain huffed but sat carefully down. He had hated this when he was younger but he knew it would calm him. It always did. He shifted uncomfortably, eyes darting after the pacing man. He was always fascinated by Severus' use of old magic and spells, something that Alexis tended toward as well. He knew many magicals had drifted away from the old ways but he had found that the old ways were still very powerful, that magic was an almost sentient being that deserved his respect and gratitude. The older man had walked a large circle around them thrice, his fingers outstretched and splayed, his lips moving silently. He waited until the man came to a stop in the middle again and sat down across from him, before speaking. "I'm fine, we don't have to do this." Well, perhaps he was whining but he really didn't care. The frown from the older man made him squirm a bit more but what really hit him was the worried in those dark eyes. It made his stomach feel a little warm but it didn't vanish his anger. If anything, it made him angrier, because now he felt guilty for causing the damn man to worry! Ugh!

He arched a brow, sneering slightly at the child. If he was fine then he would eat a tin of lemon drops. His heart pinged a little at that thought, because...Albus. But although the man had once mentored him, when he was first teaching, and had found him help, the man had also done nothing to help the hurting children under his care unless he had no other choice. So while part of him grieved for the man, the other part knew that the children would be safer, healthier, and happier with him gone. If only it wasn't such a permanent gone. But that was neither here or there, as the boy across from him needed him _now_. He could do nothing for Dumbledore now, but he could, and would, help this child. Even if it did involve sitting on the floor of his office knowing that his bones would hurt later. Momentary discomfort was not of import. It never was when there was a child who needed him. "We do. Now, close your eyes."

He grumbled under his breath for a moment but obeyed. He scrunched up his face briefly, hating not being able to see what was around him but he knew Severus would not harm him.

"Good boy. Deep breath in." He silently counted to five, his own eyes closed. "Breathe out." He waited again, listening to the sounds of the child. He could feel the boy's magic slipping back under wraps. "In."

Bain took another breath, focusing his mind only on breathing. With each breath in, he tugged his magic back to his centre. He breathed out, letting the negative emotions go with it. He understood the need for the circle, to keep his magic and emotions from spilling too far out. It kept his magic in and outside influences out, which was probably a good thing. There had been a time or two, when he was younger, when his grasp on his magic had completely slipped. He let the calm settle into his centre, listening to the soft cues from Severus.

It took about fifteen minutes for the child's magic to be completely under his control and for his anger to dissipate a bit but they had gotten there. "Now child, I want you to find the trigger to your anger. Locate it in your centre and isolate it." He opened his eyes to study the teenager for a moment, waiting until he was sure the boy had managed the task. It was a bit difficult for beginners but Bain wasn't a beginner. Two years of working with the child on controlling his temper and they were finally at a place where the boy trusted him enough to actually close his eyes. "Done?" A slight nod, eyes still closed, was his answer. This was always the hard part, no matter how long one had been practicing this particular method of meditation, and mindhealing even. "Good. Could you describe the trigger for me?" He requested, still keeping his tone gentle, soothing.

Bain frowned, focusing on the reason for his anger in the first place. The image rose up in his mind once more but he didn't fight it this time; he just kept himself emotionally distant from it, so that he could view it with objectivity. "A letter." He paused, fighting to keep himself away from the emotions that had got him into this mess in the first place. Anger and hurt...but he could ignore them. He would ignore them. "From my brother."

He blinked, furrowing his brows. He knew his apprentice had an older brother and that the other boy was non-magical, but Bain had never spoken much about him. "Could you tell me about the letter?"He requested softly, keeping his tone to the soft, breeziness still.  
He hesitated, forcing his heart to still. Bain took a deep breath and released it, letting his brother's words come back to him. "He apologized. For leaving me, for never trying to get custody of me. He had thought that father would not harm me and that I would be safer with them. But I wasn't. He left me!" He burst forth, fighting to keep his anger and pain inside.

"Centre yourself, Bain." Severus instructed softly, feeling the young man's magic trying to pull free once more. He waited a moment before pushing onwards again. "Why did this letter send you into such a rage?" He questioned. It was important for the younger man to reach these conclusions and thoughts himself, to find the answers for himself; it also helped to release the anger, just by speaking about what made him angry. Of course he knew that the red-headed would argue with him, but no one liked the exercise when it was their emotions and thoughts they had to wade through.

He grimaced, shaking his head. He really didn't want to go there, he didn't want to talk about it. He hated talking, it made everything feel real once more. If he just ignored it, it didn't hurt as much...well, eventually it would overwhelm him and that was why he had such bad nightmares sometimes, but still. Speaking about it was difficult, so very hard. But he trusted Severus and he knew that the older man would listen without judging, would guide him to where he needed to be, and wouldn't let any harm come to him. He took a shaky breath, biting his lip for a moment before reigning his magic back in and letting his heart calm. He could do this. "I...He wants to see me. He said he wouldn't contest Alexis adopting me but that he wants to see me, talk with me. I haven't seen my brother since I was seven, Professor. Seven. And now he wants to see me? Now that I'm not being beaten regularly? Now that I don't have to fear leaving my room? Now that I don't have to fight to survive the summers?Why now? Why?!" He gasped, his eyes burning with unshed tears.

"Perhaps your brother has a reason, Bain. But he might not. Meeting with him might be good for you, it might help you let go of some of this anger toward him. You do not have to answer him now and you do not have to see he if you wish. But know this, whatever you choose, you are not alone. I will be here to help you through this, as will Alexis. You are safe child. Just let it out." Severus stated softly, reaching out to rest a gentle hand on the boy's ankle. He felt the boy's magic push out once before it was drawn back in and blue eyes flew open, tears silently running down his face.  
He let his emotions out, he had to. He was safe here. He could be angry here, but he wasn't angry anymore. These were not tears of anger; no, these were tears of pain. Bain hesitated for a moment, blinking rapidly, before launching himself into the open arms of his master. It didn't matter to him that they were still seated on the floor; it didn't even matter that he was seventeen, a man in their world. All that mattered was that those strong arms wrapped around him and held him, murmuring reassurances into his ears.

He held the teenager until he had calmed down, finally arching a brow at the boy. "Better?" He gave a half-smile when redden eyes met his, tear tracks dried on his cheeks.

"Yes sir. Thank you." Bain whispered, pulling back slowly.

Severus waved it off, standing and pacing the circle thrice, counterclockwise this time. He thanked the magic and the elements, letting the peace of the magic fill him for a moment before stopping to face the teenager. He reached down a hand and pulled the child to his feet, and directly into his arms. He hugged the boy, this time a bit more comfortably and at a less awkward angle, letting the peaceful magic that filled him pass on to the child.

He closed his eyes, accepting the ancient magic into his own. It was almost like a calming feed but more...intense. This magic felt wonderful against his own, wrapping him in a tight hug before it dissipated. "Can you teach me that?" He queried, eyes wide with wonder. He knew the magic passed to him because of their bond as Master and Apprentice, just as Alexis could pass the powerful magic to him as his guardian. It was not magic he could keep as it had to return to the world around them, but it was wonderful to even feel the intense bits of magic for a moment.

He laughed, a deep rumbling from his stomach that rose up and out of his mouth. Bain merely grinned at him cheekily, eyes glinting with joy for a brief minute. Magic, pure and simple magic, could cause that bliss he knew. He knew that well. When his master had started teaching him, he had been so drawn to the magic, to the rituals and ways of worship. His master had passed on the rituals to honour the Goddess and the deep understanding of magic. He would gladly do that same. "Of course I can, child. In a few weeks. You have to have a grip on your temper and a mind open to learning the necessary rituals." He replied with a snort, knowing that the first would be much harder than the latter. The problem with children raised in the non-magical world, the main problem, was that they did not know nor understand where their magic actually came from. They were not raised with the prayers and rituals that the majority of pure-blooded children were. Some, of course, called the rituals dark but they were not. Religion, in the magical world, was as diverse and accepted as sexuality. There were the children raised with the Gods and Goddesses, of course, and then there were child raised to believe in only one God, or raised to believe in nothing. Those were always the hardest to teach, those who believed in nothing, who didn't really care about where their magic came from nor did they respect their magic as they should. Severus knew he would have to teach the child about the Gods and Goddesses first, about magic itself, before he could even begin to teach him how to cast a simple circle or perform any ritual. The child would be participating in one, of course, as his blood adoption would be a ritual to solidify the bond between him and Alexis but that was much different from performing a personal ritual or a Yule ritual. The child had much to learn, much that he could teach him since he was so open to learning, but first there was a few simple matters to deal with.

Bain grimaced when the older man pulled back slightly and he was turned to the side. The three hard smacks to his still slightly sore bottom caused him to wince. He knew the man was going easy on him, this time. He also knew that he wouldn't be so lax the next time. He swore then, to himself, to never let there be a next time. The stinging spells were enough; he would be mortified to be put over the damn man's knee because he broke his top rules again. Because he knew that would hurt worse than any stinging spell, not just the pain of the smacks either. But the disappointment would hurt so much worse than any spanking ever could. He had been over the man's knee once before, when he was younger, and once was more than enough.

He turned the child again, glad to have that part taken care of. He hated disciplining children like that but he also did not make idle warnings. And he knew his old master would have been much harsher if he had done the same as Bain had. Had been much harder on him, actually, because he had done something similar when he was younger. And although it had worked for him, he did not like the heavy-handed approach with his children. Instead, he rather they thought about their behaviour and figured out what was wrong with it, so that they wouldn't do something so foolish again. "Now, I require an essay on what you were brewing, why randomly throwing ingredients into the cauldron is bad, and what could have gone wrong by tomorrow evening. I also want lines: 'I will not brew while angry because I could easily make a mistake and become injured' two hundred times. By in the morning. And, because you have so much to write for me, you are grounded until Tuesday morning, which means?"

"No experimental brewing." Bain groaned, scowling at his shoes. He felt like such a naughty child when Severus spoke in that brisk, no-nonsense tone.

"And?"

"I have to stay in Alexis' quarters except for meals."

"Very good." He sighed, watching the child pout for a moment. "I understand your anger, Bain, I do. But I need you to follow my rules. I am your master and I do not make rules for no reason. I do not want you brewing angry because accidents are more likely to happen when you are distracted. I do not want you experimenting without me around because potions can quickly go wrong. If you do not believe either of those statements, I have proof of them." He hesitated, looking into the boy's eyes for a moment. He wasn't quite sure he wanted to tell this story, but he knew it was important for the younger man to understand why he made seemingly pointless rules. Pointless to the child, at least. "When I was your age, I thought I knew better than my master. I was experimenting, without his supervision or knowledge, when in a moment, everything went wrong. I was unable to erect a shield around the cauldron as it exploded and the potion splashed my leg before I could get away. My master felt his wards going off and the charm that alerted him if I was injured, the same charm you wear. He rushed into the lab and vanished the mess, but not before the potion had managed to melt away half the skin on my leg. He managed to stop the poisoning and save my leg, but it did damage the nerves and leave a horrifying scar. " He stated finally, eyes distant.

"What he did he do to you?" Bain asked quietly, wincing at the injury. When he put it that way...his anger could have ended horribly today.

He sighed, focusing on the child in front of him once more. What hadn't his master done? The older wizard had healed him and then held him tightly while he sobbed his pain and fear. He hadn't punished him harshly for it, because the man said he had already been punished enough. But he had lost his trust for a while. A long while. "Besides grounding me to his quarters? I wasn't allowed in the lab for a week, and then for three months afterwards, only when I was with him. He placed an age line in front of the door so that I could not enter and if I tried to cross it...well, he wasn't too pleased. I also lost his trust, because I went behind his back to do something he told me not to. But he didn't stop caring about me and he didn't stop teaching me, I just had to earn that trust back." And he had, though it had taken months of obedience and hard work.

He gave a soft nod, shifting uncomfortably for a moment. He was glad Severus hadn't been that harsh, to ban him from the lab for a week. Not this time, anyway. His bottom hurt and he had lines to write, but it could be worse and he knew that. The sting would vanish soon and while the essay might be difficult, it was an assignment that he had come to expect. Even though he had to face the embarrassment of telling Alexis why he was grounded, he still had Severus' trust. And that meant a lot to him. His anger could have ended horribly, he could have been injured or killed. And his master was telling him that, with a personal story of his own. Because his master hadn't been as lucky as he was, he had been injured. Bain understood this, understood what Severus was saying. That the man still cared about him, would still be his master, no matter how many mistakes he made.

-x-

A/N-

_ Die Zeit heilt alle Wunden is a proverbs that loosely translates into "time heals all wounds". Zeit is a noun, meaning time. Brauchen is a verb, conjugated here, that means need. My German is far from perfect. But, if you haven't noticed, my English isn't very perfect either._

~Case


	17. Misbehave

A/N- So Sunday, apparently, is more than two chapters long...I will post the final section of this day as soon as it is written. This is cute in places and serious in others...italics are usually thoughts, x's are scene breaks. Sorry it took so long to post but the end of the chapter was very hard for me to write. Do not own. Enjoy and as always, use your words.

~Case

-x-  
Teddy frowned, watching his friend pace restlessly. They were in Karrie's new room and Harry was...agitated. The brown-haired youth shook his head, glancing at the girl who was stretched out on the bed beside him, reading. Harry had been pacing for several minutes now and he knew the other boy was thinking, but they couldn't help him if he didn't tell them what was wrong. Their friendship ran on trust, openness, and acceptance. It felt like it was going to be a long afternoon, even for a Sunday.

He grumbled under his breath, catching the bits and sparkles of magic as he paced. He wanted to fly! But Remus had said no, that they couldn't fly right now. The man wasn't here right now though...he had gone up to speak with Professor Flitwick and Severus was still in his office, apparently talking with a student. He wasn't quite sure. So why couldn't they fly? It wasn't like he ever needed permission before and they would never know. After all, they could just say they went to Teddy's room or to visit Hagrid... "Let's go fly." He turned back toward his two friends, noting their frowns.

"We can't, Harry. Remus said no." Karrie sighed, briefly glancing up from the book Millie had sent her. Millie...she really needed to talk to someone about Mille, an adult, but who?

"So? He'll never know." Harry shrugged, turning his eyes to meet brown.

Teddy shook his head, biting his lip for a moment. Although he did want to fly, he knew better than to disobey an adult. It usually meant trouble. "We'll get in trouble."

He groaned, shaking his head. So what if they did? Their guardians had said that they would never be beaten, although he didn't quite believe that. He just wanted to fly. So badly. It always made him feel better. "Come on, it'll be fun." He argued finally. Harry did understand why his friends didn't want to get into trouble, but he didn't care. He just wanted to do something, anything, to prove that they really didn't want him. Because he knew they'd send him back eventually. Better get it over with. And he knew they wouldn't send back Karrie or Teddy. But him, well, he wasn't important and he was angry. And sad. And well, he didn't even know how he felt!

"Neither of us have brooms Harry. And your broom is warded." Teddy reasoned quietly.

He blinked. It was locked up...but perhaps he could undo the spell? He'd been toying with magic lately and sometimes wards just fell apart after a while. "I think I can remove the ward."

Karrie sat her book down, sitting up with wide eyes. "Really?" If he could, she wanted to see it. She had only heard of such magic before, being able to just remove an unknown spell. But those were usually very powerful grown witches and wizards. They were just children, it wasn't something they were suppose to be able to do yet, if at all.

"I think so, yeah." He shrugged, glancing at Teddy. The slightly older boy hesitated for a moment before nodding. If nothing else, it would be fun to try. He grinned, racing toward the living room. He skidded to a stop near the cupboard, trying the handle for a moment. It was locked and he knew a standard unlocking spell would still set the wards off. He had to remove the wards and then unlocked the door. He frowned, placing his hand on the door and concentrating on the glimmers of magic that ran through it. He felt the wards weakening slightly, as he pulled at the strands. He didn't quite understand what he was doing but at least it was working.

"What, may I ask, are you doing?" Severus drawled from the doorway. He stepped quickly into the room, striding toward his hazardous potion cupboard and the children. He had felt that alarm immediately, that someone was messing with the cupboard. They had never thought that the children would try to unlock a locked door, but perhaps they should have warned them not to. Either way, what the boy was doing wasn't an unlocking spell nor was it something he should be doing. He had left Bain in his office when the alarm went off but he knew the older boy would follow.

Harry jumped, trying to pull his hand away from the door. He grimaced, tugging it but his hand wouldn't move. Uh-oh. That wasn't what he meant to do.

He stopped beside the child, squinting to see the bits of magic. It looked like the ward, one of the strongest invented, had wrapped around the child's hand and was sealing it to the wood. He swore softly, turning dark eyes to spot the teenager. "Bain, get Alexis immediately. I don't care what she is doing, inform her that Mr. Potter has formed a ward around his hand. The ward that is on my hazardous potions cabinet." He ordered, before turning his eyes to the two children. "Sit, both of you. Stop struggling Harry. You will only make it worse." He knelt beside the messy haired child and bit back a sigh. They should have expected Harry to mess with the wards, they should have spoken to him about it sooner. But this past week had been busy and they had planned to have the conversation tomorrow. Clearly, tomorrow would be too late.

He grimaced, biting his lip. He was in for it now! Surely he would be punished for this...although, had the professor said that this was a potions cupboard? That couldn't be right! Where were the brooms, then? He tugged his hand again, glaring at the door. Harry started pulling at the bits of magic frantically, because his hand was now throbbing, struggling to get free.

"Stop, Harry! Do not mess with the ward! If you bring it down abruptly, the cabinet might explode. The potions inside are sensitive to magic and they are dangerous. That is why it is heavily warded." Severus snapped, catching the child's free hand. The boy was going to cause more damage to himself if he didn't stop messing with the magic.

"Hurts." He whimpered, biting his lip.

Teddy shifted uneasily on the couch, watching his friend struggle in silence. He should have stopped him, should have told him that it was a bad idea. But he didn't know this would happen, none of them had. He had only heard of using magic like this, and that was just pieces of adult conversation, just theories really. He had never seen someone do it before and his curiosity had got the better of him. Of them, really. All three of them had wanted to see if Harry could actually do it, so this happened. Damn.

"I know it hurts, child. Take a deep breath, that's it." Severus squeezed the boy's hand gently, using his free hand to brush tears off of his cheeks. Only his child would end up in a situation like this. Alexis needed to hurry up, before they had to do more than just heal bruising. He turned his head when the floo went off, catching her eye when she stumbled out of it. She had never been the most graceful at floo exits.

She hesitated for a moment, surveying the scene in front of her. The child's hand was wrapped tightly in olive green strands of magic, pushed into a violent mess of multi-coloured pieces of magic. Damn child couldn't do anything in halves. Alexis crouched beside the child silently, examining his hand with her eyes and magic once more. The boy must had created a hole in the layer of wards, causing the magic that protected the potions to strike out against him. He was lucky that he hadn't made the cabinet explode. His hand looked to have the beginnings of burn marks on it; she needed to act fast. "I need you to be still, Harry. As still as possible." She murmured softly, stretching her hand, palm out, toward the door. She did not, however, touch the door, which was the child's second mistake. His first had been trying to unravel a ward that clearly fought him back. She closed her eyes, finding the sickly green bits of magic in her mind. She carefully weaved the blue of the wards back together, using a strand of yellow magic to separate the child's hand from the wards. In her mind, she slowly unraveled the green, rolling the pieces of magic up like a ball. She turned her hand, palm up, concentrating for a moment.

He frowned, one hand still on the child, watching as a ball of light slowly formed in Alexis' outstretched hand. To work magic like this, without any circles or wards, without any direction, was not just difficult and rare, something few adult mages could do, but in its rawest form it was extremely draining on the witch or wizard. Sorceress, really. For she was not just manipulating the magic, bits that he could barely see, and not without years of learning to see it, but she was taking something, an accident the child created, and disassembling it; creating what she needed for it and destroying whatever was left. Well no, destroying was the wrong word, as magic couldn't ever really be destroyed. She was returning it, perhaps, to where magic stemmed from.

Grey eyes opened, smiling softly at the ball of magic before closing her hand and letting it flow back to where it came. "So mote it be." She whispered, turning her eyes to the young teenager. She caught his hand as it slid from the door, turning it to study the palm for a moment. It was red and angry looking but there was no real damage, no lasting damage. The boy had been lucky; she had seen a smattering of cases where people had messed with magic they did not fully comprehend and it had ended quite badly. She reached into the pocket of her robes, fumbling around for a moment before pulling out a jar of salve. Working with children had the benefit of making her prepare for anything, something Tim had taught her years before. She took the boy's hand again, gently spreading the salve over the marks. "Well, Mr. Potter, you were quite lucky this time. I believe we need to have a discussion." She remarked finally, rocking back on her heels.

He flinched, ducking his head. Harry knew that they only called him by his last name when he was in trouble or had done something stupid. And perhaps it had been stupid, he had got caught after all and he hadn't thought it was a potions cabinet. "Sorry Professor." He murmured automatically.

"I'm sure you are, Harry. But what is it exactly that you are apologizing for?" She waited a moment, shaking her head when he didn't respond. "Do not apologize if you do not know what you are apologizing for." She advised, straightening slowly and motioning toward the couch.

Severus stood, squeezing the child's shoulder briefly before eyeing the Headmistress. Tim would be...displeased if she fainted again. She did look quite pale and he knew how much magic and effort it took to do what she did, to help his child. "Go sit, Harry." He turned dark eyes to meet gray, raising an eyebrow. She merely nodded, making a face for a fleeting second before turning toward the children once more. He walked beside her, just in case, coming to a stop in front of the three little miscreants. Well, one little miscreant and two curious young teenagers. "Why were you three trying to get into my _restricted_ potions cabinet? The potions in there are volatile. One wrong move, a bit of magic too much, and the entire cabinet could have exploded." He drawled slowly, arching a brow at the squirming child. He had a feeling that Teddy and Karrie had very little to do with this misadventure.

"We thought it was a broom cupboard." Karrie slowly looked up from her hands, green eyes going to her new guardian. She knew he wasn't really angry; he had been a bit at first but mostly, it was worry. And now, he was just disappointed. She didn't like disappointing her guardians though. Not at all. Even if she knew that they wouldn't hurt her; they might decide that they didn't want her.

"Why on earth would a broom cupboard have seven layers of wards?" Alexis asked, shaking her head slowly. All of this because of brooms? If she remembered correctly, Remus and Severus kept the brooms in their bedroom but not locked up; much as she did.

"Erm." He shrugged, glancing at Teddy. The other boy had furrowed his brow, biting his lip in thought. He just didn't want to get his friends in trouble. He had been the one removing the wards, after all.

"It wouldn't. Seven layers?" Teddy muttered, scowling slightly. He knew his friend had a gift but to mess with seven layers of wards was foolish. Unless Harry hadn't noticed, the other boy didn't know as much about magic after all. He had been raised by muggles, of course he wouldn't know old traditions and about layers of magic. But he couldn't have explained it to his friend, he barely grasped it himself.

She gave the oldest young teenager a brief nod, turning her eyes to focus solely on the messy-haired child. "You cannot just mess with magic Harry. It isn't a toy to be trifled with at will, but a sentient being the deserves respect. Using magic like that needs tight control, control that you do not have yet. Your core has yet to stabilize, your magic has not reached maturity. You cannot just use magic that you do not understand nor comprehend." She scolded finally, folding her arms and leaning back slightly.

Harry scowled, glaring at his trainers. He hadn't been messing! He had just been trying to remove a spell; it was something he liked trying, even if it didn't always work. Although he didn't quite understand what he was doing, he had figured out how to do it. It was interesting and the magic...it called to him. He knew what a magical core was, of course, but he didn't understand why it had to mature. When did it mature, anyway? Maybe with puberty? But the book Severus gave him, the parts he'd read so far anyway, didn't mention stabilizing the core. What did that even mean, anyway? He felt so stupid in situations like this, but at least Karrie looked as lost as he was. "Why does a core have to stabilize, Professor? I thought all magicals were born with it." He questioned finally, peeking up at her. The worse she could do was refuse to answer, after all, but he didn't think she would. She was a teacher: they usually encouraged questions.

"All magicals are born with a magical core but that core isn't fully formed. Your core will continue to grow and change until it matures. The core stabilizes around puberty, it becomes a bit more settled, easier to control. That is why first and second years learn mostly theory, because their cores are not at a stable enough point to consistently perform magic. Rarely is there a child whose core doesn't stabilize until maturity, which is usually between sixteen and eighteen, when your magic is fully within your control; although it will develop a little bit longer, it will not change very much." She explained carefully, shifting through the knowledge in her mind. "Using magic helps your core strengthen, much like a muscle. But when you use magic that you do not understand, you can do damage to your core, by forcing it to form pathways that it isn't quite ready for. Not many people can do what you do, Harry. Not many can naturally see what you see. They can train themselves to see the bits of magic but most of the time they have to look for it or the magic cast has to be very powerful." Alexis added softly, crouching to be on eye level with the seated child. She needed him to understand this because she wasn't so sure that he wouldn't be harmed next time. She needed to test his levels, to see where he was at magically and what he was able to do now. He would not learn as she did, without proper instruction and a complete lack of control. But then, his core would not mature until he was in his late teens. There would be no need for it to mature earlier than that, not anymore. A child's magic only matured before sixteen if it was a drastic matter between life or death. Of all the abused children in her care, those who were not quite sixteen, none of their cores had ever decided to fully come into power, even if the threat to their lives had been great, and she knew they had been. She only knew of three cases where a child's core had matured early and the child had survived the backlash of magic. Severus who had been fifteen, right after his mother had passed away; Charlie who had also been fifteen; and herself, when she was merely fourteen. The youngest core to ever mature was an eight year old child and the child had died from the overpowering of their magic; the youngest to survive...well, that had been her. Or so Tim had told her.

He tilted his head to the side, looking at her fully now. He knew he was a freak but apparently he was a bigger freak than he thought, if her words were true. As he had no reason to doubt her, he was sure they were. "I understand, professor." He muttered, turning his eyes back to his trainers. And he did understand, he understood that he was a freak and that what he did was bad. Isn't that what she was saying, after all?

Alexis sighed, meeting Severus' eyes for a moment. She wasn't quite sure that the child did understand but she would take it for now. "Alright Harry. Come by my office after supper and we will work on your abilities." She relented finally, shaking her head. She would have to find a way to explain it better to the child this evening, a way to make the complex notions understandable for a twelve year old. Hell, she remembered when Tim had explained it to her and she hadn't understood either; she had been much older than this child was! She would have to get Tim's help to test the boy...so much to do today.

"Yes Professor." Harry replied obediently, furrowing his brow. Why would she want to work with a freak like him? There was no helping a freak; freaks were just useless, wastes of time. Burdens. That's what Uncle had always said, even if Severus and Remus said otherwise. He knew he was a burden to them, they had to buy him clothes and toys after all. So he knew he was a burden, so why would she want to work with him?

"All right then." She straighten slowly, beckoning to her brother with an inclination of her head and moving toward the kitchen. She paused briefly, ruffling Teddy's hair. The child leaned into her touch for a moment before grinning up at her and taking off with his friends.

"You look horrible." Severus drawled, offering the younger woman a potion. She merely shrugged, batting away his hand.

"Keep an eye on Harry. I will work with him tonight; however I do not believe he understood my warning." She sighed, leaning against the counter and closing her eyes.

If she fainted on him, he would kill her. And then Filius would kill him. It was a never-ending cycle. He snorted softly to himself, reaching out a hand to steady her. Filius had admonished him to keep an eye on his _sister_ but every time he tried to help her, she would just brush him off; brush it off like it was nothing, like there wasn't something wrong with her. He rested his hand gently on her upper arm, feeling her tremble slightly. "Alexis. Take this now." He growled, placing the vial to her lips. Grey eyes flew up and she glared at him, lips pressed firmly shut. "I will call Tim." He threatened silkily, dangerously soft.

She bit her lip, eyeing the potion for a moment. Her head felt like an elephant was standing on it and her limbs were shaky, but otherwise she was fine. She didn't need a replenisher! It would make her sleep and she had too much to do to sleep. She needed to speak with Bain, he had seemed a bit distraught when he had fetched her; she still had piles of paperwork to get through, she needed to check on each of her wards and she wanted a bit of time with Teddy; she had to work with Elijah on controlling his temper and Ariana needed to talk to someone about her past and Marko and Milo were fighting and...she just had too much to do. She could do it, of course, and she would, because these children needed her, but she didn't need a nap, not right now. She finally pushed his hand away, shaking her head. "I'm fine, Sev." She was fine, really. She just needed a few minutes to breathe and let her magic calm down once more. Disabling that ward and freeing the child shouldn't have affected her like this but she knew that she had spent a lot of magic lately, by reinforcing and applying wards to the school. Her body was not quite used to the amount of magic she was channeling, but it would be in time. She just needed a bit of time.

He arched a brow at her, stashing the potion into his pocket and taking hold of her elbow. He pulled her away from the counter, encircling her with his arm and steering her from the kitchen toward his and Remus' bedroom. If they were going to fight, and they would fight if he forced this potion down her, which he would, then they would do so in private, away from the ears of children. She was leaning heavily against him, tremors still shaking her too thin frame. If this was fine, he'd hate to see what bad looked like. A wave of his hand opened the door to the bedroom, guiding her gently into the room. He pushed her toward the bed, stepping back to sneer at her. "Do not lie to me." He growled as she sank down onto the bed, her head in her hands.

"Mind your own business." She snapped.

He snorted, shaking his head. "You _are_ my business." And she was. Even if they hadn't had the bonding yet, even if the adoption wasn't official, she was still his business, his sister. Perhaps it had only been a few days since Filius had brought up the subject to them, but she had been his sister for much longer. His magic recognized her as family and had done so for over a year now. Since that faithful day with the acromantulas... a shared misadventure had strengthen the bond they were already forming, and the bond they both had with Filius. The blood adoption would make that bond even stronger. If he didn't kill her before then, of course.

"I have work to do, Severus." She growled, moving to stand but a firm hand pressed her back down.

"You are no good to the children if you are too weak to do anything."

She groaned, shaking her head. That turned out to be a mistake as the pain in her head increasing suddenly. She knew he was right but that didn't mean she had to agree with him. She had too much to do and sleeping brought...dreams.

He removed the potion from his robes once more, holding it out to the younger woman. "Come now, Alexis. It will make you feel better." He directed softly, finally sitting beside her on the bed. "I will keep an eye on the children. Just take it."

She met his eyes for a brief moment, knowing that she would not win this. She leaned against him, feeling his arm come up around her once more, before taking the vial from him. She swished the liquid around for a moment before uncorking the vial and tipping it into her mouth. She felt the magic of the potion rush through her and she took a deep breath, letting her body relax.

Severus glanced down at the younger woman, smirking at her sleeping form. She was exhausted, her body had not been getting enough sleep, and then she spent too much magic. Probably not just with his child, but also messing with the school's wards again. He would need to help her strip and reapply the wards at a later day; right now she needed rest. He picked her up, moving the covers with a wave of his hand, and laid her fully onto the bed. He tugged the covers around her, casting a small charm to let him know if she woke, before leaving her to her sleep. She was taking care of the children, so he would take care of her.

-x-

She groaned, rolling away from the hand on her shoulder. "Five more minutes." Came the sleepy murmur, her eyes not even bothering to open.

"It's time to wake up, Alexis. You've been sleeping for three hours." The brown-haired man explained sternly, laying out Alexis' robe. He vanished into the en-suite for a moment, to set out some clean clothes and a towel for the younger woman. This was not the first time she had fallen asleep, or been forced to sleep, on their bed. And if his plan went as he hoped, the younger woman would join them, with her wards, as a member of their household. The cottage was quite large enough for all of them, after all, and in most British families, at least the pure-blooded ones, generations of families often lived under one roof. Of course, they had a summer to get through first. He returned to the room and bit back a sigh. While she was cute when she slept, she needed to get up. She had already missed lunch and although there was still a few hours until dinner, she would not sleep tonight if she didn't get up. Remus pulled the covers off of her, shaking his head when she just curled up tighter. "Come Alexis. Up."

She groaned, groping about for the blanket. She was cold and she wanted to sleep! Damn man. She gasped when she was lifted into the air, cradled against a strong chest, an arm under her legs and one around her shoulders. Her eyes flew open to glare into brown. "Down!" She snapped.

He ignored her, striding into the bathroom with her in his arms. He finally set her on hr feet, raising an eyebrow at her snarl. "Shower. You will feel better." He ordered quietly, turning and leaving the younger woman to do just that. He closed the door quietly and sat down on the edge of the bed, listening for the sounds of running water. It took a few minutes but the shower finally turned on and he smirked, setting the potion Severus had left for her on top of her robes and leaving to check on his children.

-x-

Alexis bit back a smile, gazing down at the boy asleep in her lap. Teddy was stretched out on the couch, his head resting in her lap and his feet curled up against Bain. Elijah sat on Bain's other side, both of the older boys had lap-desks and were writing essays. Of her three boys, only the youngest was well-behaved, it seemed. She could get used to this though, having these three boys with her all the time. To have all three of them become hers...it was possible, after all. She was planning to adopt Bain and Teddy anyway; but Elijah had also found a way into her heart, had become one of her children. She had nineteen wards, yes, and she spent time with each of them, but these three were becoming hers, becoming more than just children that she was responsible for, more than just caring about their welfare. Her magic had accepted them as her children, was forming a deeper bond than just guardian with these children's magic. She knew Bain noticed the bond, but Elijah and Teddy probably hadn't yet, or didn't know what that tug at their magic was. She had to speak with Elijah about it, of course, to make sure he was alright with her adopting him. She would have fewer wards by the end of summer as it was. Pomona was going to take custody of Robert and little Nora; Charity had fallen for Ariana and little Lila; Septima was debating on taking three of the teenagers; Marko and Milo had a grandfather in the wizarding world who wanted custody and who was vouched for by Lucius; and Karrie had become Remus and Severus'. She couldn't adopt them all, but she could find homes and families for the rest, or keep them as her wards. It would be a long process, a lot of paperwork, and no small amount of patience, but it was possible. These children would have families, all of them. She glanced over at her office door at the slight buzzing sound, frowning when the orb flashed a light blue. A child, then. She sighed softly, looking down at Teddy once more. She hated to weak the child, as he did not sleep often enough.

Elijah crouched beside the older woman, gently wrapping his arms under Teddy. He lifted the skinny boy slightly, allowing the headmistress to slip out from under him, before lowering the child carefully back onto the pillow Bain had placed there. He frowned when the child tossed slightly, muttering in his sleep, hesitating for a moment before transfiguring another pillow into a small stuff dragon. Unfortunately it was the colour of the pillow, a dark purple, but it did look quite like a dragon. He eased it into the child's grasp, before returning to his spot on the couch. Her nod of approval and smile made his stomach feel warm. The brief touch to the top of his head caused him to smile, because it felt...nice. Like he was cared about.

"Bain's in charge, stay in the quarters. If I'm not back by supper, the three of you head down to the Hall and stay together." She murmured softly, smiling briefly at her two thoughtful lads before entering her office. She shut the door behind her and strode purposefully to the outside door. She opened it at the timid knock, gazing down at...Karrie. "Come in, child. Is everything alright?" She asked calmly, ushering the girl toward the desk. She wondered if Remus knew where his child was.

She hesitated, green eyes unsure. "Can I..can I talk to you, Professor?" She asked finally, biting her lip. The woman had told them that they could all come to her, that she was open to all of them. She even spent part of the evenings in the camp quarters, just to talk with whoever wanted to or, usually, to listen.

"Of course. Come, let's sit. Hot chocolate, Karrie?" She offered, tapping twice on her desk, The mugs popped into view and she held one out to the younger girl. A hesitated hand accepted the mug as the girl shifted uneasily in her seat. "Now, what's on your mind Karrie?" She questioned causally, leaning back to study the child. It was easier for the children if she appeared relaxed and calm, more reassuring for them. If she was relaxed, they would relax which made it easier for them to speak about what bothered them. With this child, in particular, it could be a number of things but Karrie wasn't one who actively sought help or advice. Hopefully, they could change that.

She stared into the mug of chocolate for a moment, taking a careful sip of it. It was delicious and it warmed her belly, perhaps chocolate really was magical after all. "I'm worried about...my friend." She responded finally, peeking up at the woman briefly. The headmistress was perfectly blank but she could tell that the woman was listening and she could see the bit of concern that showed through her eyes.

"What is causing you to worry?" Alexis asked calmly, running through a list of the girl's known friends. Harry, Teddy, Lila and Ariana were the only ones that she had seen her with, around the camp at least. Ariana had agreed to keep an eye of Karrie and Lila often went wherever her older sister was. She knew Ariana was having problems of her own but for some reason she didn't think the girl meant Ariana. She could mean one of the other children, of course, but then, the child might also mean herself. It wouldn't be the first time that a child used a friend as an excuse to ask for help or get advice, without letting on that it was for them.

Karrie took a deep breath, hesitating for a moment. Millie would never speak to her again if she told, but she was worried about her friend. And she wished she had someone to speak up for her when she was first...yeah. She could do this. Jake, Mary, and Charlie were always telling them to take to an adult if they were worried about their safety or a friends safety. Because abused kids often found each other, apparently. Often knew each other. It was true here, because the camp was all abused kids, but she wasn't sure if it would be true outside of camp. But if it would help her friend, then she would tell. "My friend was...attacked by another student last semester." She murmured, staring at her shoes.

She blinked, that wasn't what she had been expecting at all. A student was attacked in her school?! She forced herself to calm, keeping her expression as bland as possible. "Could you be more specific, Karrie?"

"My friend was assaulted by an older boy, a prefect, but he threatened to tell everyone that she was a lying Slytherin slut and she was scared he would hurt her. That no one would believe her; that since he didn't rape her, it didn't matter. She won't listen to me! And she's afraid to come back to school because of it!" Karrie growled, frustrated. Millie wouldn't listen to her! Her friend had been hurt and there was nothing she could do about it! Millie had said that the boy would graduate this next year, so it wasn't such a big deal, but she didn't understand! The other girl had a Head of House that was so much like her own, that would have believed her and dealt, harshly, with the creep. Would she have told if it was her? Probably not, but she was used to being used that way. She didn't want her friend to become this way, to become used to those touches, to feel dirty all the time. Millie wasn't her, she didn't need to become bad like her. She just wanted to protect her friend.

A prefect assaulted a younger student? And Dumbledore didn't know?! There were alarms to alert to such things, unless the damn man had ignored or disabled them. The child was a Slytherin...why didn't the girl tell Severus? The man was quite caring toward his students, he was always there for them and she knew that the little snakes knew this. But perhaps the girl was frightened into not telling, perhaps the boy had threatened to do serious harm to her. That did make sense and she had met many survivors of violent acts who had been forced into silence. Prefects were in a position of power and he could have easily threatened her. She needed to know who this child and her attacker were, so that she could talk to the girl and, if possible, expel the boy. It might not be possible, depending on how sure of the identity the child was and her memories of the event. But she would not have a child attacked while in her school, nor would she have a child who was terrified of coming back to school. "Who is your friend?" She asked slowly, watching the child squirm and shake her head. "I cannot help, child, if I don't know who she is." She added gently

She grimaced, raising grey eyes to meet gray. "Millie."

One of Lucius'? And Narcissa hadn't found out about it yet? That was...odd. The Malfoy couple was quite good at getting the children they kept to speak about what was bothering them. Narcissa was good with children and teenagers, even if she wasn't a certified mind healer. She mothered so many children, those who she kept while their parents worked or traveled, or those who didn't have a mother at all. The woman had once even mothered her, when she was an apprentice and Tim needed someone to keep an eye on her when he got called away. The woman would be very upset to hear that one of her charges had been assaulted while at school. "Thank you for telling me, Karrie. I will make sure it is quite safe for Millie to come back to school. I will take it from here." She responded quietly, nodding at the girl.

She knew a dismissal when she heard one and she didn't doubt that the professor believed her. She went to stand, setting her mug down. "Thank you, Professor."

"Karrie...how are you holding up child?" She questioned softly.

The girl blinked, shrugging. "I'm fine, Professor."

Of course. Well, it was worth a try. "Would you like to use the floo?" She offered, biting back a sigh. A nod and a small grin were her only answers. "I'm here if you need anything child." She added, handing the girl a bit of floo powder. Green eyes stared into hers for a moment before the child nodded once more and vanished through the floo, back to Remus and Severus' quarters. Back home. She took a deep breath, running her hand through her hair. She needed to contact Lucius and check on her boys. Lucius first and then Tim, the three of them would have to get the child's statement. And Severus would need to be alerted. So much to do for this child and it needed to be done now. She took another deep breath, nodding to herself and turned to her desk to find the paperwork she needed. Because everything had paperwork, after all.


	18. Not Alone

A/N:_ Do not own. So here it is, the newest chapter. Very much of Alexis and Tim in this one, as well as Harry and some Severus and Lucius. Alexis is angry here, rightly so. But perhaps she gets a bit snappy and Tim might not approve...Enjoy, let me know what you think. Translations are at the end as needed; x's are scene breaks and italics are usually thoughts. As always, use your words. _

_~Cas_

_-x-  
_

Nearly black eyes watched the pacing healer, shaking his head slightly. She was muttering to herself in German again and he knew better than to cast a translation spell on her. Severus understood enough to know that she was swearing violently every few words. He had had to fight down his rage when she had informed him that one of his _second_ _years_ had been assaulted while under his care and hadn't told him. Of course, after he calmed down enough to think straight, he realized that the child was probably too terrified to tell him but that did nothing to lessen his anger at her attacker. It was getting the child to talk that had proven to be a problem. Even with Narcissa there and her mother offering to floo in, the child had refused. Millicent had agreed to let them view her memories, which Tim and Lucius were still in, but it had not shown them her attackers face and she was too scared to tell them. Her mother was trying to return early, but the child had the nerve to tell her mother to finish her work. Narcissa would take care of the girl and was acting as a stand-in guardian but there wasn't much they could do if the child wouldn't work with them. Worse, Millicent had shouted that she would never speak to Karrie again and he knew that this would hurt his ward greatly. "Merlin's sake, Alexis. Sit!" He growled finally, sneering at her.

She merely glanced at him, not even pausing her stride. Someone had harmed one of her students. It made her angry. She had to seek justice for that little girl, even if the pre-teen had not been able to name her attacker; she had known the date it had happened and had known that it had been after her curfew. They could easily pull up the records and see which prefects had been on duty that night and try to narrow the list down. She had seen the fear in the child's eyes, under the false bravado and the anger at her friend. When Millicent had time to process and think about it, she would understand Karrie's actions; she was a smart girl, after all. Smart, but terrified of coming back to school and afraid that people would think badly of her. That they would blame her. She was a child, she didn't understand that it wasn't her fault; bad things had been done to her, but it was not her fault. She had hoped to get that through to the child but she doubted it. Oh! If she could get her hands on that boy!

"You're shaking the shelves." Severus drawled, raising an eyebrow at the younger woman. He was angry but he could control his temper and his magic. Alexis usually did as well; unfortunately her magic was now connected to Hogwarts which could make the results...spectacular.

"Control yourself Alexis." Tim ordered briskly, stepping back from the pensieve. He had viewed the memory from several directions, had looked around as far outside the parameter as he could. He knew Lucius had been analyzing the bits of speech, looking for any context that would give away the boy's identity. The stoic-faced blond was having trouble control his anger as well, but at least he understood the need to set aside rage, at least from a legal standpoint. This was not the first time he had to view such a memory and he would bet that it wasn't the first time for Lucius either. He knew Alexis had viewed many similar memories in the past but this one seemed to get under her skin. Tim frowned, brown eyes narrowing at the younger woman. "Enough." He added dryly, stepping toward her.

She growled under her breath, muttering a series of curses but slowly drew her magic under control. Tim always seemed to know when she was about to explode, damn man.

The silent stinging spell he send toward her was deflected with a wave of her hand, grey eyes flashing dangerously. She needed to settle and even if her magic was calming down, she was not. He knew her too well. "Jetzt Alexis." The immediate response was a slur that he ignored, one that often came out of her mouth when she was angry or upset. This one incident should not have caused this reaction from her; normally her anger would be contained but now...it was as if everything was hitting her all at once. And perhaps it was. He stepped closer to where she was pacing once more, raising an eyebrow at the younger woman. It was rude to switch languages in company but, at the moment, it was also necessary. "Was ist los?"

"Verpisst euch!" Alexis snarled, hissing when a hand smacked her bottom. "Tim! Nicht hier bitte!"She moved out of his reach, turning to glare at him.

"Oh? Then do not speak to me like that." He warned quietly, shrugging. She should know by now that he didn't care who was in the room, he would reprimand her for disrespect and bad behaviour, whether it was toward him or someone else.

She flushed, lowering her eyes quickly. "Tut mir leid." She murmured, grimacing at his switch to English. She was quite aware of the way both Severus and Lucius were looking at her; clearly both of them had understood that swear, at least, even if they had been lost by the rest of their conversation.

Tim gave a brisk nod, accepting the apology for what it was. "We will discuss this later. Sit, now, so that we can handle more important topics." She obeyed him almost instantly, beckoning for him to continue. "Is there a record of which prefects were on duty that night?"

Severus nodded, reaching for the pile of papers he had been sorting through. Only his sister would take her anger out on her healer, although he knew quite well that Tim would only put up with so much from her before he took her to task for it. And found out exactly what was causing her to act this way. "I had to search through the mess of McGonagall's office. She didn't keep any of the forms filed and some of them were gone. Without Gio's help, I wouldn't have found any of the records at all." He growled, offering a copy of the duty list from that night to each of them.

Alexis summoned a quill, quickly marking off all of the girls. There had been six prefects on duty that night, two of them girls. Of the four that remained, one had graduated and the other was a Slytherin. Severus was positive that it was not one of his students who had attacked the child. " Without the girls, Flint, and Mitchell, that leaves just two." She remarked, glancing down at the two names. She knew neither of these students, both sixth years, but Severus would.

"Are we positive it couldn't be Mitchell's?" Lucius asked, frowning down at the list. Davies and Weasley...neither boys were who he would immediately suspect. But he knew it wasn't Flint, as Millie, and the rest of the children staying with him, was quite taken by the older boy. He knew that when they were first years Flint was charged with watching out for them and spent time playing with and comforting them.

"As I caught Mr. Mitchell snogging Ms. Ellis near one of the potions labs, I'm certain." He drawled, tapping long fingers against the parchment for a moment. "It could have been an off-duty prefect." Severus suggested, sighing softly. If that was the case, they might never find the child's attacker. After all, each house had at least six prefects. Slytherin and Ravenclaw both usually had ten, depending on the number of students that year.

"I know of neither of these boys. Describe them for me?" Alexis requested, twirling her quill between her fingers. Tim had straighten in his chair, picking up his own quill. Clearly, he at least understood what she wanted.

He blinked. She was not asking what the boys looked like, but rather who they were. She wanted to profile them. It had been a while since he had done any form of profiling, although he knew Severus used profiling to help him recognize abuse faster and Tim would use it regularly. He only used it for a few cases but perhaps he could still remember the important details. Lucius did not know much about how the boys were at school but he had met both of them over the years and had a few impressions from those meetings. "Davies comes from a wealthy home. His parents are separated but get along well. Only child, well-behaved. The summer he spent with us, he was curious, respectful. A bit loud, outgoing." He stated, gray eyes meeting equally gray for a moment.

"He does well when he applies himself, enjoys flying and excels in transfiguration. He is not know for being quiet and he has gotten into a few altercations with other students." Severus paused, thinking back quickly. The boy had gotten into quite a few fights, actually. He had discussed teaching the child anger management with Filius but when he had spoken with the child, he had realized the reasons for his anger were not from the home. But because the older boy couldn't stand bullying, couldn't stand watching someone hurt a younger student. "He once tackled one of his year mates for shoving a first year Slytherin." He added quietly, shaking his head. He could be wrong of course, but he was almost certain that it wasn't Davies now. He'd have to ask Filius but he didn't think the boy had ever shown an interest in any girl.

She nodded, making a few quick notes next to the child's name. It was looking quite unlikely that this boy had harmed one of her students. That left one Prefect on duty, but it might not be him either. It was frustrating, to have a student in her school harmed and not to be able to find the attacker. "Tell me about Weasley." She requested briskly, blinking at the name. Weasley? The child of the woman who kept sending her howlers? A sibling of the volatile dragon-tamer?

"He's from a rather poor large family. Very quiet, spends a lot of time alone or studying." Lucius shrugged, shaking his head. The Weasley boy was from a decent family, although his mother was quite a bit..much.

"He is the third child of seven, obsessively neat and very much a loner. He doesn't like large groups, has his mother's temper, and strives for perfection. Very much against anyone who is not the same as him."Severus added quietly, grimacing. Weasley was one of his least favourite students and not because he didn't do his work, but because he sprouted bigotry.

She raised an eyebrow, summoning the child's file. Alexis flipped open the file and blinked, reading through the thin document twice before turning her attention back to the men. "He has never been in trouble?" She questioned, brows furrowing.

Severus snorted, that child had several detentions with him _and _Filius. The boy wasn't as bad as his twin brothers, wasn't out for attention or a trouble-maker, but he did get angry, as all children do, and he had said quite a few things to some of his students that had led to detention. "Serious trouble? No. Detentions and point deductions, yes. He was quick to judge and quicker to say whatever came to mind. Rash, bitter." He replied, catching her eyes. Her gaze was calculating and he could guess at where her thoughts were leading.

"There is nothing in his folder but grades and praise from McGonagall and Dumbledore. Nothing of substance, no medical records..._nothing_." She hissed, not liking that conclusion. His disciplinary records were gone and he would have some, if he had served even one detention. Which meant someone had removed them and the only one with access before her had been McGonagall and Dumbledore. The old man wouldn't have done something like that, he had too much to do and the files had been in McGonagall's office. So the question was, what had that woman been hiding?

"I will do some digging." Lucius offered quietly, shaking his head. It would not be easy but he could get any information necessary. The boy should have medical records somewhere, at least, and as a child's advocate he should be able to access them, with a reason of course. Medical records might not tell them anything but they could hold a clue, even a very small one.

"Thank you, Lucius. If Severus will find out where Davies and Weasley were stationed that night...we'll have more to go on. Let me know if Millicent remembers anything else." She replied briskly, summoning another sheet of parchment. "You will have her speak with a healer, yes?" She inquired after a moment, sighing softly. The poor child, assaulted in a place where she should feel safe. Not only that, but blaming herself for it. The girl would need someone she could trust, someone to open up to.

"As Narcissa and I act as defacto parents while she is in our care, she will see our family healer. I believe you know him, as Eric tells me he has been offered a position at Hogwarts." He smirked, standing stiffly and stretching out his back. He had much work to do and children to check in on; he needed to find who harmed one of his charges, because no one was allowed to touch those children. No one. "I must return home before Blaise drives Cissa up a wall." He drawled, catching her hand when she stood and embracing the younger woman briefly. "Do try to get some rest, Alexis. You look dreadful." He smirked when the younger woman merely sneered at him, shaking hands with Tim and clasping Severus on the shoulder, before disappearing through the floo.

Severus sighed, surveying the younger woman for a moment. She did look worn out still and he wasn't sure if she had eaten at all that day. "We will find her attacker, Alexis. I will ask the ghosts and portraits if they noticed anything that night. It isn't much, but it is a start." He murmured after a moment of tense silence.

She merely nodded, locking eyes with him for a brief second. "Karrie will need your support now, as she feels her friend hates her. Millie will come around but they are young and it takes time." She sighed, closing her eyes and running a hand through her hair. She had so much to do, always so much to do, and she still had to work with Harry this evening. Her boys needed her as well and she had plans to work with them on meditation. She flinched when a hand rested on her shoulder, gray eyes flying open to meet warm brown. The gentle comfort of his magic on hers made her relax and she leaned into the healer, feeling Tim's arms encircle her as they had so often in the past. She heard the floo and knew that her brother had left, to give her privacy and time. Perhaps she just needed a bit of time.

-x-

Harry gazed around in wonder, eyes darting all around the office. He hadn't been in the Headmistress' office before and it was so much different than Dumbledore's had been. Much simpler, cleaner. There were still piles of papers on the desk, but they were neater, organized. The books of the shelves seemed to hold a purpose and there were no odd instruments or obscenely bright furnishings. It was just so much more inviting and less scary. Fawkes was still there as well, which helped make the office at least a little bit familiar. He sat in an armchair, kicking his feet, waiting on the Headmistress to return. He blinked when a door he never noticed before opened and she came out, carrying a leather pouch and followed closely by Tim, who was carrying a small wooden box. He knew she had wanted to talk to him about his freakishness, but why did she need a pouch? What was in it? Remus and Severus had been talking about some sort of tests, when they had thought he was in his room. He didn't want tests though, he would just fail and disappoint them. He was a freak, after all, he couldn't do anything right.

"Relax, Harry." Alexis murmured, dropping her bag on the desk. The nervousness was just rolling off the child. "Tim and I just want to talk to you about your magic and see what level you are currently at." She stated calmly, glancing at the older man. He was taking a handful of shrunken boxes out of the one he carried, quickly restoring them to size. They were still on the small side, but now about the size of her palm, just big enough for the child to need two hands to hold them. They needed to see where his magic was at and how much control he actually had; although she thought that if the incident earlier was an indication, he couldn't have too much control just yet.

"So tell me, Harry. What do you know about magic?" Tim questioned, dropping causally into a chair. The boy squirmed but didn't look at either of them. "There is no wrong answer, Harry. We are genuinely curious about your knowledge and understanding of magic."

Harry swung his feet, tilting his head slightly. What did he know about magic? Apparently, not very much. "I know that not all magic requires a wand and cores and stuff." He shrugged finally.

Alexis fought back a snort at the typical preteen speech. "Cores and stuff? Do you mean core stability and maturity, which I tried to explain to you this morning?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at the child's mere nod. She sighed, deciding to use another tactic, as this wasn't helping either of them. "Where does magic come from, child?"She remembered when Tim had asked her that question, when she was about sixteen. She had sneered at him and snapped the only answer she knew.

He scowled, shrugging. Did she think he was stupid? He knew he was a freak but he wasn't stupid! "From my core." He stated dryly, arching an eyebrow at her in imitation of one of his guardians.

"You draw your magic up through your core, yes. But that is not the only place magic is. Magic is not just inside you child. It surrounds us and is in everything, even the smallest blade of grass contains its own bit of magic. Magic is not a thing to be used as you please and disregarded when you are through with it. It is a being, a living, breathing sentient being. It ebbs and flows, moving in ways that the majority of us still do not completely understand." Tim replied, smirking when the child stared at him like he was crazy. Perhaps he was but not about this. He knew that come September, Alexis was bringing back a class on old magic to Hogwarts so that the children, especially the muggleborn and raised, would understand magic better. Magic was a complex, complicated being; there was no simple explanation for or about it.

Harry scrunched up his face in confusion, glancing at the healer. He knew magic was alive, sort of, but he didn't know that it was in everything. Nor that it was sentient. Although..."What does sentient mean?" He questioned quietly, blinking at the unfamiliar word.

"The ability to feel and understand things. Magic does not form concrete thoughts, in the way that we would imagine, but it does feel. It is very much alive and it has the ability to offer itself when it perceives itself to be needed." Alexis explained, watching the child causally. She knew that it was a lot to take in, a lot to understand. Harry was still young,even in the non-magical community he would be considered a child.

"Magic is not as simple as waving a wand and something happening. There has to be intent and purpose. There also has to be control. The way we use magic is a bit different than most typical magicals, at least here. In the Americas, especially South America, magic is often channeled as we do. We can change a spell or strand of magic, alter its very nature, if we want to. We can see and sense magic, push our magic through another's body to reverse a spell without knowing what spell it is. The way we use magic is different but the same. It also costs more to use magic that way, without restrain. It drains your core faster and is one of the reasons that very few people would use such magic all the time. Without control, magic, like all things, is dangerous. Our magic especially. Your magic." Tim added briskly. It was extremely important that the child understood the control was necessary, otherwise they could have a disaster on their hands. If the child didn't understand, hopefully he would soon. It was time to start testing him, to see where they stood so far. "Do you understand, Harry?"

He hesitated, green eyes narrowing for a moment. He did understand, soft of. His magic was different, he was a freak. And his magic was bad, he could hurt someone with it. But all magic was dangerous, wasn't that what Tim was saying? So maybe his magic wasn't bad. Maybe he just had to learn it better. Some of the things the Healer described sounded cool, so maybe it wouldn't be so bad. He hoped. "Yes sir."

Alexis smirked, reaching into her bag. She pulled out three small stones, setting them in front of the child. "Good. Now let's see where you are. Your core is starting to stabilize, so these new abilities of yours are appearing, and will grow as your core matures. We do need to know how far along they are; so we know what to teach you." She tapped each stone once, catching the child's eyes. " What I want you to do, Harry, is to close your eyes. Do not try to see the magic, but feel for it." She instructed, raising an eyebrow when the child merely stared at her.

He stopped squinting at the stones, biting his lip for a moment before hesitantly closing his eyes. That lasted for all of a second before they flew open again. He couldn't do it! It wasn't that he didn't trust the Headmistress and Tim, he did, but he was so used to watching everything and he couldn't see a fist coming if his eyes were closed! Surely she knew that!

"You are safe here Harry. Neither of us will harm you, nor will we let any harm come to you. Take a deep breath in. Good, now release it child. Again." She murmured briskly, crouching beside the child's chair. "Good boy. You are safe. You can do this. Whenever you are ready, Harry. Just try child, we will be right here and nothing will harm you. I promise." She encouraged as the boy finally seem to calm down. The small nod was also a good sign.

Harry took a deep breath, slowly attempting to close his eyes again. He waited tensely for a few long moments, before slowly relax. He instinctively reached his hand out to the stones, holding it above each one for at least a minute before moving to the next. He frowned, moving his hand back over the middle one, furrowing his brow. Either he was doing it wrong, or there was no magic in this stone. Wait...there was a faint trace of brownish magic, that's what it looked like in his mind's eye, but not the vibrant magic from the first stone nor the slightly less but more chaotic feel of magic from the last stone. "This one has less magic?" He questioned, picking up the round, smooth stone.

Alexis smirked at Tim, he had said that the child probably wouldn't feel the subtleties in the Obsidian. Clearly, she had been right in this case. The child could obviously feel them, even if he was not yet fully seeing magic but in flickers. "Yes, very good. What of the other two, Harry?"

He set the stone down, reaching for the first one. He held it for a moment, feeling it warm his palm. "It has a lot of magic in it, different magics. It absorbs energy?" He guessed, rubbing the small orb for a moment. It tickled his hand and the magic in it seemed to like him.

"Good. And last?"

He hesitated after setting the other stone down. He really didn't want to touch this one but perhaps he didn't have to. It felt so full and angry. But it didn't seem to have as much magic in it. "I don't know. It feels...weird. Like it has angry magic in it and like it is conflicted. But a stone can't be conflicted." He muttered, not touching it at all.

She blinked, arching a brow at the child's observation. Most children stated that it had less magic than the first but more than the second and just left it at that. But Harry noticed the emotions betrayed by the magic. Bloodstone was a grounding stone, after all. It help many negative emotions and feelings from those who just needed to empty their minds and clear their energies. "Good, Harry. Very good. You can open your eyes now." She instructed quietly, picking up the Obsidian. The boy did as he was told, watching her wearily for a moment. "This is the first one you touch, yes? It is called obsidian. Although it can hold magic and many use it as a grounding stone, it best helps by using its own magic." She informed, slipping the stone back into the pouch carefully. "This one is an Opal, they can hold a lot of magical energy, so that a drained wizard can draw on them in a moment of need." She dropped the opal into the bag, a bit less carefully, before picking up the bloodstone.

"What is that one, Professor?" Harry questioned, eyeing the angry stone warily.

Alexis held the Bloodstone for a moment before giving it over to Tim's outstretched palm. He grimaced when the stone 'bit' him, studying the energy of it for a moment before handing it back. "When was the last time you cleansed that, Alexis?" He inquired raising an eyebrow at the younger woman.

She merely shrugged, slipping the stone back into the pouch. "It is Bloodstone, Harry. Can you tell me why you didn't want to touch that one?" She questioned, curious as to what the child would say.

Harry hesitated for a moment, frowning slightly. Bloodstone? But it was green and red, not blood red. "It just felt weird. Different than the other two, angry. Like it might hurt me." He explained finally, grimacing. His answer didn't really make sense, not to him anyway. After all, how could a stone be angry? Even if it was alive. The other stones didn't feel that way, not at all. It was just a bit odd. The headmistress nodded and looked pleased, so perhaps that was the right answer even if it was a confusing one.

"Alright, Harry. I have a different test for you, one where I do want you to look at the magic." Tim remarked, picking up one of the smaller cubes. The cube was laced with different strands of magic, knotted together. The task was quite simple, really. "What you have to do is look for the magic and nudge the strands back into their lines. You are not trying to break the magic or get through it, but to straighten it." He explained, offering the cube to the child. He had developed these cubes, nearly toys, for two purposes. Testing and training teenagers with this kind of magic, as well as testing their control, and preventing them from messing with wards or spells by giving them a task to work out in their spare time. Once Alexis had learned control, she had flown through these cubes. Harry probably would not. His magic was not fully developed yet; he would probably only work on the lower level cubes, the ones he had brought with him, for the next year or so. Because even if he could get through them, his core was not mature enough to move to higher levels without the fear of damaging it, not just yet.

He took what looked like a child's block, staring at it for several minutes. He could not completely see the magic but he could get a sense of where it was. He just wasn't sure how to straighten it. How did it make the magic leave its clumps and knots? Harry hesitated, running his fingers over the block once more. He took a deep breath and pushed at two twisted strands with his own magic, watching is amazement as they slowly wiggled into separate paths. Encouraged now, he kept pushing his magic at the lines, frowning when some of the magic would tangle back together.

It took the child nearly twenty minutes and she could see the exhaustion rolling off of him now. If nothing else, he would at least stay in his bed tonight. Watching him, she could easily see where his weakness was. His strength was good, although sometimes he shoved the magic, rather than gently pulling and pushing at it, but his control was awful. For every bit he straighten, another path twisted. Control of himself and his magic would have to be the very first thing they taught him. Otherwise..

Harry grimaced, shoving at the block one last time. It straighten perfectly and then he heard a click. He blinked, looking down at the top of the box as a hinge appeared and it swung open. Inside the small block was a chocolate frog. He picked it up slowly, glancing questioningly toward Tim.

"Did I not mention that these cubes held secrets inside them? No? The treats inside are for those who can open them to claim. So yes, Harry, you may have it. Though do try to not consume it right before bed." Tim drawled, hiding a smirk behind his hand. The gobsmacked look on the child's face when the cube had opened was priceless. "There are levels to these cubes, the hardest of which you will not attempt until your core has matured. Each holds a different prize inside: trinkets, candy, toys...I find the reward inside makes them so much more enticing to work with." He had designed them to keep children interested, after all. What better way to interest a child than to hide treats inside them?

Alexis sighed, watching the child quietly for a long moment. "I believe that shall suffice tonight. Well done, Harry. We will set up a training schedule for you tomorrow." She dismissed quietly, smiling softly at the child. He had done well, for his first time and for his fear of them. Hopefully, he would learn that he was safe there, but she knew that would be an uphill fight.

Harry closed his hand around the chocolate frog box, handing the block bad to Tim. He was still a bit confused, because why would they want to reward a freak like him? But perhaps he wasn't such a freak, anymore. Perhaps he was a little bit lesser of a freak now. He didn't know. What he did know was that he wanted to spend the rest of the evening with Remus and Severus, even if they wouldn't want to keep him forever. Might as well enjoy it while it lasted. He hesitated for a moment, glancing at the floo before looking back at her. At the Headmistress' nod, he grabbed a handful of powder and vanished back to his home, however temporary it might be.

"That went well." Tim remarked, turning to face the younger woman. "Now, you have put off this discussion long enough." He folded his arms, leaning back to observe the Headmistress. Headmistress she might be but she needed to learn to accept help. He thought they had gotten through this years before, but clearly not.

She sighed, turning away from him and starting to shuffle the papers on her desk. "I have work to do, Tim." She murmured.

"There will always be work to do."

Alexis grimaced, biting her lip. "I'm alright."

He raised an eyebrow at her, shaking his head. She was still turned away from him, still distancing herself from him. "You are not."

"Geht weg!" She snarled, spinning around to glare at him. She didn't want to talk about it, couldn't he just leave it well enough alone?!

He blinked, frowning at the young woman for several moments of tense silence. She did _not_ just tell him to go away. "Do not use that tone with me. I am getting very tired of your attitude, Alexis. You seem to forget that you are not too old to go over my knee." He warned softly, tone dangerous.

She shivered, drawing back from him. It had been quite a few years since he had actually followed through on that threat but she didn't doubt him. But she wasn't a child anymore. She was fine, she would be fine, if they would all just back off. She had work to do and children to care for, she didn't need this right now. "I'm not a child, Tim." She stated dryly, looking away from him.

"No? Then stop acting like one." He snapped, turning and pacing the room for a moment. He took a deep breath, allowing himself to calm down a bit. She was a child still, his child. Filius' child. She was barely old enough to enter legal contracts in the magical world without a cosigner. She didn't have to do this alone. She had family, why couldn't she just accept that? He knew why, of course. Because she had so rarely had it before, she wasn't used to asking for support and help from others, although he had thought that they had made much progress of the years. "Damn it, Alexis. Who will put you back together when you fall apart, if not us? Talk to me. Let me help you." He growled exasperated, finally turning back to her.

"I won't fall. I can't." She muttered, shaking her head. She wouldn't fall apart, not if she could help it. But a breakdown was becoming inevitable, the longer she held it all in. She knew that. She wasn't an idiot and she was a healer, after all, so she did recognize the signs in herself. But healers really were the worst patients.

"Why? What's so different that you won't fall apart this time?" Tim questioned, running a hand through his hair wearily.

"The children." She whispered, biting her lip.

Ah. But that made sense, then. She didn't want the children to see her as less than whole. She wanted to be there for them, completely, without any thought to her own well-being. He understood that quite well. "Then let me help you. You are not alone, Alexis." He responded quietly, moving toward her slowly.

"Retten.." She grimaced, closing her eyes and turning away from him once more. She knew, in actuality, that she wasn't alright. But she had to be alright, she had children that depended on her after all. She flinched when a hand gently rested on her shoulder, turning and burying her face in his shoulder for the second time that evening.

It hadn't occurred to him, but perhaps she needed time to grieve the damn man properly. Perhaps Retten's death had reawaken memories from her childhood, memories that they would have to work through soon. But maybe something else was necessary first. "He would have wanted you to be happy, Alexis. To live your life and let go. Perhaps we should hold a small ritual for him, to help him move on? Would that help?" He offered quietly, hugging her to him tightly. She did not often let people hold her anymore, but he knew she still needed that comfort just as much as her young charges did.

She turned gray eyes, shining with unshed tears, up to meet his, hesitating for only a moment. "That would, yes. Who?" She bit back a sigh, relaxing into the comfort of his magic. She was tired, exhausted. And she knew he had questions, as he was one of the best mindhealers in the world; she knew he wouldn't give up easily, even if he let it go for now. He would keep pushing, until she finally exploded at him and let it all out. She had done it before, of course, and she always did feel better afterwards, but she needed to be whole, she couldn't afford to just let her emotions and thoughts control her, not right now. Not with so much still at stake, so many things to get settled and working.

"Just family." He shrugged, chuckling at her glare.

She snorted, shaking her head. "You said _small_." She reminded dryly.

Tim nodded solemnly, his eyes twinkling with a hidden smile. "Of course. The adult members of the family. So let's see, that would be Severus, Remus, Lucius, Narcissa, and me. And of course, Filius. Couldn't have a family ritual without your papa." He teased lightly, loosening his grasp but not quite letting her escape the comfort just yet.

She laughed, smiling despite herself. "Are you jealous?" She teased back, smirking at him.

"Of course not. I was your guardian for long enough, thanks all the same." He intoned before smirking at her. She merely huffed at him, sticking her tongue out.

"Tomorrow evening, then?" She remarked, finally pulling away from him.

He merely nodded, watching her for a long moment. "I will arrange it. Now, you need dinner and sleep." He ordered, turning stern once more. She rolled her eyes at him but nodded, moving into her quarters and beckoning to him. He glanced around the office for a moment, packing up his play cubes and turning to follow her. She would be alright. It would take time, but eventually they would get there. He was sure of it.

-x-

Translations:

Jetzt- now

'Was ist los' can be translated many ways, but here it merely means, 'what's wrong'.

'Nicht hier, bitte'- please, not here.

'Geht weg!' - go away.

These are all merely one translation of a word, they can mean several other things but this is what I mean. My German is not perfect (although much,_ much_ better than my Spanish). If Alexis and Tim are talking alone, chances are they aren't actually speaking in English, but I cannot translate that many pieces and have this story still make sense. And yes, you may figure out what her swears mean on your own.

~Cas


End file.
